by TJ Reynolds
The huge warrior was around eight feet tall. Hashtar the Great, as he called himself, wore slabs of steel armor an inch thick and carried no obvious weapon. Yet as he faced off against the lizard man, a brute that would normally look intimidating in any other company, the giant lifted his hands before him, revealing that each was wrapped in steel.
After the fight started, the lizard man flashed his scimitars in arcing sweeps that lifted sparks from the giant’s armor with tremendous speed. After a few moments of the attacks, the lizard man had made the giant bleed in half a dozen places. Emboldened by his initial success, he attempted a stab toward the gap at the bottom of the giant’s breastplate.
Quicker than I’d have thought possible, the giant managed to snatch the lizard man’s wrist, then struck the reptile’s chest with his opposite fist. A few more jabs peppered the lizard man’s torso, then the giant grabbed his throat and ripped a handful of flesh free.
Blood sprayed out across the boxer’s face and chest, and the only thing louder than the crowd’s scream was the giant’s own cry of victory.
I was pretty sure that the giant would make it all the way to the final round. He left the arena with enough confidence to convince any number of the audience members to bet that he would do just that. That was, until he stepped into the ring with Teegan.
Rather than show off or delay, Teegan unsheathed his sword and, in a flurry of strikes, evicerated the giant, leaving him grasping in vain for an opponent he was too slow to reach.
Two more rounds of fights brought the Solo Cup to a finale that I should have seen coming. Teegan walked out and faced the duelist, Steven B. Noobshanks, whom he’d admired in the first round.
The announcer called the match and, for the first time that day, the crowd went almost completely silent. Teegan bowed deeply to the duelist, who tilted his head in response. Then, with an eagerness that he had not displayed until now, Teegan let his sword arm fly.
Rather than the clanging crescendos that had characterized most of the bouts, this one was more like stillness interrupted by occasional flurries of movement. A subtle shift of the body would incite a few thrusts and subsequent parries. Little noise was made, as each attack was economical, and the parries were soft blocks meant only to guide the opponent’s weapon away from the body.
I had no idea which way the fight would go, and after a few minutes of tense exchanges, Teegan let his guard down for a moment, allowing a light strike of the duelist’s sword before recovering. This happened again, shortly after the elf had pushed harder on the offensive, making Steven backpedal rapidly. When the attack had subsided, Teegan dropped his guard just an inch, which, again, the duelist took advantage of.
My friend was bleeding from two thin gashes, breathing deeply from the labor of combat, when Steven pressed his advantage. He laid into Teegan’s weakening defenses with more powerful swings of his sword. Then Teegan moved, suddenly faster than he had been before, and not at all fatigued. The elf parried Steven’s sword aside, stepped into the space provided, and, in the same motion, ran his dagger through a chink in the man’s armor.
He didn’t twist the blade or yank it out but retreated swiftly and bowed as Steven looked down at the evidence of his own demise. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I saw the duelist nod his head slightly before he slumped to his knees.
The team matches were next, and in many ways, at least for me, were a lot more engaging. Analyzing each team’s strategies was my favorite part.
My favorite team so far was one that had a Ranger, a Paladin tank, a Shaman to heal and buff the party, and a crazy freaking orc that was too ugly and familiar to forget.
Oliver was not easy to reach, with his halberd constantly snapping out at the three fighters who stood on the opposition’s frontline. He was so effective that, until that point, the Paladin hadn’t cast a single healing spell, but instead focused on imbuing his team with holy strength. He even dropped a couple hammers, made out of shimmering light, onto the heads of the healer who stood at the back of the party. Already, I could see that the Cleric’s health was declining.
But despite my fondness for the orc, and the obvious skill that the team commanded, it was the Ranger that gave me the most satisfaction. She was hot. Hot like, older cousin’s friend who brings a bottle of tequila to the quinceanera and makes out with you in the bathroom kind of hot. True story, too. I swear, the perky little ranger looked just like Miel, the first girl I kissed a few years ago.
Initially, I thought the match would last a while, but the Cleric fell after Oliver used an interesting skill. He pulled back his halberd and threw it, but the weapon turned into fiery energy as it landed in the cleric’s chest. The healer died immediately, and Oliver’s halberd reappeared in his hands. Crap, I was glad he hadn’t used that on me. It must have been on cooldown.
After that point, the paladin shouted to his teammates, “Left to right! Mop up time!”
Sure enough, the Ranger focused her attacks on the fighter that stood on the lefthand side, He held a small buckler and a mace, and though he dodged a few of the first attacks, the Shaman cast an entangling vines spell on him and rooted him in place. After than, he fell to a few well-placed strikes.
The Paladin used a Shield Bash on the tank opposite him, stunning the woman. Oliver’s halberd finished her quickly.
They downed the final fighter as well and took the victory.
Oliver’s team went on to win the final round. I even stood and clapped along with the crowd.
The announcer came out once again, looking more composed than the day before, and cried, “It’s time for our final event, everyone, and always my favorite! Let’s have another round of applause for the Companion’s Cup finals! Our first match is between two very powerful competitors. Give it up for Sarina Harkonen and her peryton Momo versus Kandelan and his dire wolf Wolfie!” The man disappeared as the competitors faced off and the fight began.
“Wolfie?” I complained. “Come on. You’ve got to have some self-respect when naming a companion.” The match ended quickly, the poor wolf no match for the antlered peryton.
Teegan chuckled quietly, “Yeah, I’ve heard worse, though. You think that Serina and Momo might be your match-up, then?” He tossed me a questioning glance.
“Maybe. They are really good. I hope not, though. I just keep thinking of Pachi when that peryton uses her flashing ability. Would be pretty creepy.”
We watched a couple more matches before fighting Tarah and her kelpie companion named Rhione. The fight was pretty brutal, and though the kelpie had some interesting water skills, Tejón ended up taking a bite out of its throat. When we were announced winners, the bear told me that though horse was tasty, he still preferred pig. I just patted him on the back and walked into the arena tunnels to await the final round.
We didn’t have long to wait, and as Tejón and I walked up to get ready to emerge, Teegan returned to watch the fight. I had been hoping for a longer reprieve. My HP was restored, and we were as strong as ever, but the Gravel Storm had a 30-minute cooldown.
I encouraged Tejón, hoping to pump up the bear. Hey, buddy. We still have a couple tricks up our sleeves. Let’s rock this, okay?
My encouragement was not needed, and I smiled as Tejón lumbered ahead of me, roaring as soon as he entered the pit. I still didn’t know who the other finalist was, but I wouldn’t trade places with them for any amount of gold.
And though my opinion didn’t change after I saw our opponents, I did have a flicker of doubt regarding our victory. Facing Tejón was a bulky canine creature whose charred skin crackled in an unending and unholy flame. I inspected the beast and saw it was a hellhound!
His master wore black robes and held a tall staff topped with a crystal emitting purple light. He looked like an evil Mage or Warlock.
The announcer made his way between us and bellowed, hands raised to the sky in epic challenge, “Here we are! The last and most savage exchange of the tournament. Here with his hellhound Samael is the wicked Warlock of the wes
t, Kazen the Loremaster!” He paused, letting the crowd have the moment in an onslaught of cheer. “And opposing them is the barfing Berserker we’ve all come to love, Madi Mendoza and the heavyweight stone bear Tejón!”
He disappeared quickly before I could glare at him for his two casual insults.
The bout began and immediately all hell broke loose. Literally. Samael’s flames burned higher and a cord of fire stretched out from his body and wrapped around me, scorching me despite my armor’s fire resistance. Tejón charged the hellhound, but Kazen flung up an arm and a black shield formed from thin air, blocking his path.
I tried using Dodge, but the skill failed, the fire wrapped around me gripping tighter. Kazen walked toward me and held out his staff, which had begun to glow with a vile green at its tip. Not seeing any other options, I used Quake Stomp.
The shattered earth rippled out toward the Warlock, and though he wasn’t knocked down, he was dazed. The spell he’d been casting fizzled out and bought me some time.
Thankfully, whatever ability the hellhound had used ended, and I could move freely again. The black shield also fell, and Tejón leapt at the hound. He struck out at the oversized dog and tore a gash across its face. Before more damage could be done, Kazen flicked a hand toward me and a blast of power slammed into me, flinging me back in the air and smashing down hard onto the arena floor. I looked up in time to see the Warlock launching the green orb—originally meant for me—into Tejón’s face.
The energy splashed across his body, almost like it was liquid, and seeped between the armor. Tejón roared in pain, and the hellhound used another skill in an attempt to finish him. He crouched down, almost like a puppy wanting to play, but when he pounced, a maw made of yellow and red fire extended from the hound, dwarfing the creature in size. It opened wide enough to close completely around Tejón and gnash into him. Like the green energy, the fire seemed to ignore the plate armor, passing through easily.
Tejón thrashed in the grip of the hellhound’s ability, and I watched his health drain away.
“No!” I shouted, then flung my hand out to the bear, using Companion Mend for the first time in battle. A ball of swirling white and green light flashed out from my hand and sank into Tejón. His pain immediately seemed to diminish, as his eyes became clearer.
Kazen saw me getting to my feet and slammed his staff into the ground, blinking out of view and reappearing right next to me. The warlock summoned a ball of black energy in one hand and pushed it toward me in an instant. Thank the gods of EO that it had been just over twenty-four hours, because for the second time, I used Palisade of Fire. The ball of power sizzled out on the shield.
Tejón must have remembered his own similar power, as he used Lava Burst. I watched as the ball of bubbling lava extended outward, pushing away the hellhound’s attacks. Then it exploded, and though the hound was most likely almost completely immune to fire attacks, the lava splashed against its skin and it yelped in pain.
The bear was furious now and used this reprieve to charge. I watched as he used Mauling Frenzy, increasing his speed and power, then triggered Crown of the Mountain King. Thick spears of black diamond thrust from the top of his head and the sides of his face. Samael tried to dodge the attack, but Tejón was too fast. He pushed the hellhound before him, his crown piercing the beast, then plowed him all the way to the edge of the ring. Tejón slammed into the arena wall, sending cracks sprawling through the stone and skewering the canine completely. The stone bear thrashed about, hoping to increase the damage done, but the hellhound was already dead.
Kazen looked at me, anger in his eyes, and I smirked. Still fifteen seconds left on my Palisade of Flame. I would have no trouble finishing the fight.
The Warlock did a great job of block my first few attacks, but this time I reversed the order of my melee skills. I dropped Whirlwind first, causing the warlock to use everything he had to block and evade the moves. Despite his skill, the last attack clipped him in the ribs. The man hunched over in pain and tried to scramble away. I used Sunder, allowing my axe to pass through his block and split his skull in half.
I stood panting before the ecstatic crowd and watched distantly as our defeated foes were carted away from the pit. The announcer came up to me, a grin on his charismatic face, and spoke to me quietly. “You can recover in a bit. Great fight, Madi. You two are quite the team.”
I mumbled out a thanks, then looked over at Tejón, who was sitting down on his haunches and breathing heavily.
“Alright!” the man shouted. “The tournament is over, and we have a few awards to hand out. Can we have the other winners join us?” A column of competitors filed out to surround Tejón and I.
“Winner of the Solo Cup, and no surprise, Teegan Shadespar!” the announcer said.
Teegan stepped forward and received a pouch of gold and a long, sheathed dagger with a black hilt. He bowed and found his place again.
The announcer continued the impromptu awards ceremony. “Next, we have the winner of the Team Trial. Let’s all give a shout for the Champions of Banderbury!”
Oliver gave me a quick wink as he stepped up beside his teammates. The Ranger, I observed as I finally had the strength to stand up properly and shrug off the pain of my wounds, had a seriously tidy rear end. She was a cat kin. She held her helm tucked beneath her arm, her cute little feline ears not diminishing her looks in the slightest. She was a bonified morrita.
Each of the team members walked forward and took a pouch of gold, and this time, they were each handed something a bit rarer for this realm: a small vial of healing potion. I’d need to ask Oliver what kind it was when I spoke with him later.
“Last, we have a champion who won two of our events, and though she did show us exactly what her lunch looks like, she didn’t break much of a sweat out here. Let’s hear it for our Battle Royale champion and winner of the Companion’s Cup, Madi Mendoza and her friend Tejón!” The crowd hollered and clapped, and I saw a few roses tumble to the sandy floor.
I stepped forward to receive my prizes, Tejón beside me. I was handed two fat pouches of gold, heavy enough to respect by their weight, a healing potion, and two small scrolls. I could always check them out later, so I just held them in my hand as I raised the other, accepting the praise that was thrown down on me. Tejón roared, lifting up on his hind legs. For a second, the applause hushed, but then it renewed with more force than ever before. This bear was turning into quite the attention hog.
I was high as a kite as I made my way back towards the Rooster’s Head. Teegan tagged along, busy giving Tejón far too many compliments. I didn’t stop him, though. The big boy deserved it. I still couldn’t believe the devastation he’d unleashed in the final match. Our win was largely due to his unbridled strength.
When we arrived, a round of applause passed through the many patrons who had walked directly from the arena before us. I responded by lifting up one of the prize purses, and screamed, “Free drinks on me until this gold runs out!” Rodrick gave me a grin, no doubt in part because I threw him at least 100 gold dragons.
“And what may I do for you, champion?” he added the last with a flick of his eyebrow.
“I’ll take an ale please, and two more of those meat pies!” I called back and pulled up a stool. Teegan sat next to me and we chatted for a while, waiting for our food.
The common room filled to bursting, allowing in many more people than was properly safe. No way this would fly in the real world, where things like fire codes existed. But I enjoyed the thrum of the place. With the relative space that a stool at the bar afforded me, I watched the antics of the drunk and those well on their way.
“Well done and well met, Madi,” Wardahl said from behind me. I turned to see him grinning and he shook my hand. “I’ll not pull your incredibly long leg this time. I didn’t think you had it in you. Then again, you had my armor, so that explains everything.”
I shrugged and admitted, “If not for the armor, I’d be a lot balder than I am right now. I
’ll take whatever advantage I can get!”
“Just do me a favor,” the dwarf pressed. “When you see Wardeen again, tell him three things for me: He’s short, he’s ugly, and Maya Thunderfall loved me first and loved me most.”
“You’ve got it. And if he kills me for saying those things, I’ll send my ghost back here to haunt your butt.”
My food came, and I managed to convince a man sitting next to me to leave off and give Wardahl the stool. We ate and drank in peace for a time, but then a booming voice broke through the clatter of the room.
“Rematch! She’s a damn cheat, that berserker Madi, and I demand a rematch right here!”
I spun around, nervous there’d be a confrontation, but only saw Oliver with a grin on his face. He’d used a deeper voice than usual to throw me off.
I was introduced to his teammates and tried hard not to blush when I shook the Ranger’s hand. She was nearly the most beautiful person I’d ever met, nearly. Only the thought of the willful and solemn girl from LA made me reconsider asking her if she’d like a drink.
Teegan jabbed me in the ribs and reminded me of my purpose in Bridgerun. “Probably never get a better chance at a recruitment speech. Most of these people either hate you or love you. Either way, improves your odds of getting them to fight beside you.”
I nodded, realizing he was right, and swallowed the lump of nerves that had formed in my throat. Then I tossed a glance over to Rodrick to excuse my actions as I climbed up on the bar.
I shouted, “Hey! Attention everyone, I have something to say!” When only half the room went quiet, I tried a different approach. “Shut up, you spineless cabróns!”
That seemed to work better, and I even had the satisfaction of making several of the patrons grimace at me. Well, at least I knew who hated me.
“I’ll be quick. I was given an epic quest by some NPCs in this world, the Doondane rangers and a wizard to boot. I made my way here to see how many adventurers might want to join the fight against a potential world boss. His name is the Rat King, and the bastard is raising armies to take over Mariandor.” I paused for a moment, and everyone just stared at me, not sure if I was serious. I added, “Anyone want to risk everything for the sake of a crapload of loot and XP?”
