The Elite Wizard Games (Elite Wizards Chronicles Book 1)

by Gina A. Watson

  The Elite Wizard Games

  Elite Wizards Chronicles Book One

  Gina A. Watson

  CHBB Publishing

  Copyright © 2020 by Gina A. Watson

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Edited by Karmin Garrison from That Editor Chick

  Cover by Christian Bentulan from Covers By Christian

  Published by CHBB Publishing

  To my Dad, Jim. You were a fighter. In my eyes, you were the true winner.

  RIP. I love you.

  Contents

  1. Let the Games Begin

  2. Day One

  3. Enter, Dragon

  4. Fire in the Stars

  5. Fight to be Seen

  6. Fairies, Fights, and Freaks

  7. Awakening

  8. Drakor

  9. Dragon Song

  10. Smoke and Fire

  11. Dual Dragons

  12. The Arcane Guard

  13. Return

  14. Creatures

  15. Escape

  16. Side by Side

  17. A Dragon’s Rage

  18. Battle Royale

  19. Choices

  20. A New Life

  Epilogue

  1

  Let the Games Begin

  The Elite Wizard Games were the most prestigious event of the year in the magical community. Held every year in Hythe, the castle city of Tolia, almost every wizard from every kingdom gathered to watch the competition. The games gathered elite wizards from all around the world. They received an invitation months before the games were set to begin. That gave them enough time to train and prepare. In each event, the winner was awarded points and by the end of the games, the top five wizards are given the title of “Top Elite.” The prize would be a once in a lifetime chance to join any elite guild in the world— a prize worth fighting for.

  This would be my year. I had been granted my Elite Wizard status a few months before invitations were sent and my magic was finally about to be tested against the best there was. I trained for four months before I made the trip to Hythe. I always wanted to be considered for the elite guilds. In the magical world, there are three types of guilds: standard guilds for wizards learning their craft or don’t want to move on, elite guilds for the most powerful wizards, and shadow guilds for wizards who don’t want to live under the rules of the typical magical community. My current guild wasn’t all that special. We had the lowest number of members and everyone who joined usually left for another standard guild. To have a wizard from our guild become a member of an elite guild would mean more exposure for our guild and would attract new members, and our guild’s name would rise in the standings.

  As I walked through the streets of Hythe trying to find the inn I was assigned to, I noticed many wizards standing around talking. Their guild emblems displayed on their skin, all of them asking the same question: “If you win, which elite guild will you choose?”

  That was something I didn’t think of during my training time. I never really thought I would ever have the chance to compete for a spot, let alone if I was to win. I always figured I would decide after I won.

  When I finally made it to the Firelight Inn, wizards of all ages surrounded the building outside. As I tried to squeeze my way through, I kept my head down and bumped right into the guy at the front of the crowd wearing black pants and a dark red, long-sleeved shirt. His raven-black hair was medium length, messy, and stuck slightly to the sides of his face. When he saw me, he grinned but his eyes looked dangerous. He was like no other wizard I ever met; his intense magic energy flowed off him and I could see in his eyes he knew he was strong.

  “Are you going to talk after slamming into me? Or are you just going to stare?” he asked. His voice was velvety and matched his intense energy.

  I hadn’t realised I was staring. “Sorry, I was just trying to get inside to check-in.”

  “All of the rooms are booked; the only ones left are for competitors.”

  “I am a competitor,” I said as I pulled out my invitation.

  His eyes went wide before looking me up and down. He laughed and pushed his way through the crowd. That always happened— no one took me seriously as a powerful wizard. I was nineteen years old, my light purple hair was pulled into a long braid (laying neatly against my back), and I was quite short which always made other wizards think I was younger and nowhere near as powerful as I genuinely was. I ignored the snickers from the crowd and finally got to the front desk which was attended by a small, older woman with long, green hair. She had her own guild emblem on the top of her hand, one I didn’t recognise.

  I handed her my invitation and showed her my own emblem along with my Elite Certification. She turned towards a giant book on a table behind her and looked down for my name but then turned back to me with a strange look on her face.

  “What was your name and guild again?” she asked sweetly.

  “Melanie Atax and I am from the standard guild Inferno Serpents.”

  “Sorry, we have had a few people impersonating competitors, we need to make sure.”

  I nodded to the woman and followed her to my room. The inn was small but the inside was beautiful. It was filled with beautiful artwork hanging on the walls and in the foyer was a burning fire. Since the inn was only two stories, there weren’t many rooms. The lady led me down a small hallway on the first floor, then turned left down another. She stopped at the final door and unlocked it before handing me the key.

  “Make sure the room stays tidy and keep the key on you at all times. When it comes to check-out time, make sure you return the key.”

  I nodded to her and stepped into the room. It was small and only held a bed, a dresser, and a small bathroom just off the left side of the room. However, I wasn’t in the room for long. As soon as the woman stepped out, I felt a vast amount of magic energy build within the inn and my room began to disappear before my eyes. Everything turned into a swirl of colours twisting around me. Being transported from place to place using magic never bothered me, but something was different in the magical energy that surrounded me. Something was off.

  Once the colours stopped, I checked my surroundings. My eyes widened as I saw where I was. The stadium— the hub for the Elite Wizard Games. I had been transported outside its magnificent walls. It was a beautiful stadium about the size of a large city within any kingdom. The outside was made from grey stone and was carved with intricate details of battles that had taken place centuries ago. I walked around to the entrance and found myself greeted with magic lettering in the sky.

  All competitors, please follow the arrows to the main arena.

  When I finished reading the message, a bright green arrow appeared in the sky behind it. I followed and more and more arrows became visible until I stepped out into a giant, oval arena. In the centre of the stadium was him, the wizard I met earlier. The other competitors stood around him, almost circling him. His gaze fell on me as I walked towards the crowd. Cheers erupted from the stadium seats I hadn’t noticed earlier, filled with thousands of wizards watching us from all sides. More and more wizards piled into the stadium arena until the whole ground was filled. Some of the wizards I remembered from past games. A lot of them almost made it into the top five.

  Now, I was standing in the centre of them and it was my turn. Everyone stood and listened to the roar of the crowd. In front of us, a projection s
creen appeared with a face everyone in the magical world recognised, the man who created the wizard games, Elijah Fenn, one of the top elite wizards in the world. Elijah was a tall man with grey hair down to his shoulders and he had light grey stubble forming on his chin. His power level was something everyone dreamed about.

  His voice boomed around the entire stadium. “Welcome, elite wizards. Each of you were hand-picked out of hundreds, even thousands of elite wizards around the world, and now, twenty-seven of you stand here before me. As you all know, the games are a trial like no other. The events and even the battles will be the toughest challenges you will have faced so far. Many of you will be injured, and many of you will want to quit, but in the end, only the top five contenders will be awarded the prize.” He paused for a moment and allowed for the screaming spectators to calm down. “For the prize is something you will only get once in a lifetime: the choice to join any of the eight elite wizard guilds.”

  Elijah paused again and another projection screen appeared next to his own. A list of the twenty-seven elite wizards appeared; I searched for my name and found it near the bottom of the second row of ten.

  “Over the next week, each day will hold different battles following the main event. Contestants will have to use their strength and wits to fight their way through the ranks to reach the top five and win the prize. Competitors will be chosen at random for each event and matched for the battles at the end of the day. Participating in an event will give you points depending where you place; the wizard in first position will be given ten points and placing below that will be scored accordingly. The points are the same with each fight. Winners will be given ten points, losers will get none. If the fight ends in a draw, the ten points will be divided based on who performed better in the fight.”

  “At the end of each event, three competitors will be eliminated based on their scores. Finally, at the end of the week, with the final twelve wizards left, there will be a series of battles to determine the five lucky winners.”

  All the elite wizards stopped and stared at Elijah and the other projection. My own eyes went wide at the sight of the standings board that had now come on screen. It looked complicated and hard to read, but I knew I needed to win every fight and place well in the events I was chosen for. The projection changed again, the list of names disappeared and only two words were visible on the screen. The Maze. I had no idea what it meant or what the event could entail, but as I looked around at my competitors, they all wore the same blank look on their face.

  Elijah spoke again. “Your first event will start tomorrow. You will all be transported here at seven, sharp. You will be notified by six if you are participating in the event or battles for the day. All wizards not competing on the day must come to the stadium to watch. The rules for each event will be given just before the event starts.” He looked down at the elite wizards standing in the arena. “Good luck to you all.”

  Before everyone disbanded from the stadium, another list of names was placed on the projection. Favourite wizards to win. It was short, only five wizards, but the one on the top caught my eye. His picture was placed next to his name so the wizards in the stands could see who they picked to win. It was him— the one I met at the inn. And now I knew his name, Joren Starrik. Everyone surrounding Joren looked at him in awe; I could see why. Joren was extraordinarily handsome, but I hadn’t seen his magic yet.

  As I peered back up at the projection, I noticed my name wasn’t on the board. At that moment, I silently vowed that I would be in the top five. I would come from behind as a nobody in the competition and win. I followed the crowd of elites out of the stadium and into the streets of Hythe. Before I was noticed in the crowd, I made my way back to the inn and prepared myself for the next day.

  Five am, day one of the Elite Wizard Games. I was up before the sun and training for the day ahead. I still had no idea if I was chosen for the event, but I would be prepared just in case. I chose a small field of grass just behind the Firelight Inn large enough to get in some practice of my powers. By the end of my training, it was already past six. Before I turned back to the inn, a shadow emerged behind me. I recognised the rough shape of the figure. Joren.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Why would you care?”

  He held up a small piece of paper and grinned from ear to ear. “Day one is mine. I will get the lead and keep the lead.”

  A slight giggle escaped me, I didn’t know why I laughed, but as soon as I did it, I regretted it. Joren’s face turned cold and rash, he was serious.

  “Well, we will see how you do in a few hours,” I said as I walked right past him and into the back of the inn.

  I made it back to my room and slammed the door shut with frustration and leaned against it. Closing my eyes, I tried to put Joren out of my mind. I needed to focus on the games. When I opened my eyes, something white caught my attention on the bottom of my bed. My pulse quickened and my heart raced, this was it. I picked up the paper and read it quickly.

  Melanie Atax

  You are chosen to compete today.

  Please be in your wizard games uniform by seven.

  I placed the paper on the bed, noticing clothes on the pillows— a black top with short sleeves and a raised collar along with black shorts. Once changed into the uniform, I was ready to compete.

  Outside the inn, the town clock struck seven. When the clock stopped chiming, the colours returned around me. Magic energy circled the room as I was transported to the stadium. This time, I found myself inside the arena surrounded by five other wizards. All of them wore different coloured uniforms, and down the end of the line was Joren, wearing a silver shirt with black pants. Everyone stood still, waiting to hear what the first event would be.

  Elijah’s projections lit up the arena, his face looming over us. The event name was on the second projection and I still had no idea what the maze would be. My magic pulsed within my body like it was my blood and grew with my excitement.

  “Welcome to day one of the Elite Wizard Games. Competitors, prepare to enter the maze.” He paused as something began to materialise before us. We all stepped back to the edge of the arena.

  “Within the maze, you will have to use your magic abilities to pass multiple obstacles that will block your way. You may encounter one or more of your fellow competitors; you will have to use your magic to bypass them or knock them out. The first wizard out of the maze will win themselves ten points.”

  As Elijah finished his explanation, the maze was complete. In front of us was a giant cave, six entrances to the cave with names over each of them. I spied my name over the second entrance on the left. We each took our places under our names and waited. Elijah popped up in his projection again with a broad grin on his face. I could tell he was happy to start.

  “Get ready, wizards. Day one is about to begin.”

  2

  Day One

  With a loud bang vibrating in the air, the first of the games began. I watched as the other wizards darted into the cave through their entrances. I followed along behind them and ran through my opening. Darkness enveloped me as I ran deeper and deeper through the tunnel, the only illumination coming from small, magically lit orbs on the roof of the tunnels. When I came to the first split in my path, I stopped in my tracks. Closing my eyes, I felt the magic energy coming from both directions and connected my senses to the elements around me. My magic fused with the rock and ground within the cave, but something was blocking me. A wall of magic stopped my senses from feeling my way out of the cave. I snapped my magic back and grunted in frustration. My plan had been foiled. Without a way to use the earth to sense my way out and where the other wizards were, my chances dimmed with each second I stood there.

  Without my magic as my senses, I was going in blind but I knew that was what they wanted. I followed the left path around, sticking close to the walls in case I needed to use my magic to keep cover. The caves were quiet, not even footsteps echoed. I continued picking the l
eft path at any split— until I found the cavern. As my feet crossed the threshold of the cavern, every sound echoed off the walls. Each of my steps sounded like a hammer hitting into the rocks.

  Stopping for a moment, I let my senses take over; I could smell fresh air but couldn’t tell where it was coming from. I heard someone else enter the cavern. I pulled rocks off the wall and covered myself with them, concealing myself from the other wizard. I could hear every one of their movements, including when they loudly sniffed the air.

  “Come out, I can hear your blood flowing in your veins. I know you are here.”

  My thoughts instantly turned to questions of how the wizard could hear my blood. Light footsteps came towards me as I came out from my hiding place. The person before me in a dark red uniform gave a slow, creepy smile as he saw me, his hands slowly moving by his side. My eyes shifted when I saw what he was doing. Blood dripped from his fingers onto the ground. When he raised his hands, his palms were bleeding.

  “What the hell kind of wizard are you?” I asked as I fought my gag reflex; it was a disgusting sight. Someone losing that amount of blood wasn’t going to be that much of a fight.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he paused and looked around. “It seems that you will find out. All the exits from this cavern are now blocked. I guess we have to fight our way out.”

  “That’s fine by me.”

  Lights brightened the cavern as words appeared in the air above us. I noticed my name next to what I presumed was his.