I felt the gaze of several nobles trace me as I crossed the field. This time, a barren wasteland had been choosen for the fighting grounds. You wouldn’t be missing any action from the stands with this environment. But the noble’s gaze continued to haunt me. I knew that seeing field girls compete in the arena wasn’t very common. We weren’t trained to use magic like those from other cities.
Another reason why they might be watching me, was because my hair color, a bright blonde that almost looked white when the sun beat down on it, wasn’t very common either. Wearing clothing that went along with the scheme, plus that the clothes were a full set of armor must of surprised them. Maybe I had even gotten the King’s attention and I could win by a tie by the King at the last round. I doubted it though, and just crossed the field to the side where I should generally be.
Only a few girls from my city, like the first girl who had spread the rumor about the games coming early this year, I was able to identify. They looked extremely nervous and kept to themselves. I, on the other hand, felt completely relaxed. Other than the few noble’s from the King’s court whose eyes tracked me, I was convinced that the whole stadium couldn’t possibly be singling me out among this large of a crowd. I stood waiting as more people filed into the staduim and started a losely formed crowd.
When the flawless stone doors closed the doorways, informing me that everyone who had showed up on time had arrived, and melded into the walls, it made me warry. No one would be leaving until the round was finished or someone was desperate in need of medical attention. Everyone was arranged in their rows by guards that would disappear into smaller doorways later that would seal behind them when the games started. I was having the best luck yet, because I was given an place on the outside of the formation. We stood facing the front of the arena where the king sat, but backed on the opposite side.
“Welcome one and all to the sorcery tournament. Here, individuals will fight each other until they are too tired to continue on. The guards will determine when you are unfit and withdraw you from the fray when that time comes.” The King boomed, suddenly comanding everyone’s attention.
I noticed instantly that he was using a spell to make his voice louder and heard by all.
“The only rules of this tournament are to fight using magic alone and that you cannot kill your fellow opponets. Failure to follow this rule will result in you being withdrawed by force from the arena. You will give up your chance at gaining the title and leave the Capitol imediately. If you had been foolish enough to kill another opponet, you will be held until a punishment is decided for you.” he continued, pausing to catch his breath.
“I hope the best of luck be with you.” he said sincerely, and just as we thought the games would start he interupted.”But before I end my speech, I’d like to introduce my newfound friend, Eragon, to you all.” the King announced proudly.
The crowd errupted into cheering. He must have been introduced the first games for his recognition to be so nationally accepting. Something I must have missed while I remained back at my temporary housing the whole of last week. One of the stone doors that had melded into the stone of the arena, the ones right underneath the king’s thrown chair, opened up again to reveal a large figure.
I was frightened beyond belief as well as some of the others in the arena who had chosen to stay back at their houses. A large reptile covered in glittering sapphire scales emerged from the doorway. It was the largest creature I had ever seen, and I looked in awe as it slinked its way out into the open arena and turned off to my right. It had wings whose webbing was transucent in the sunlight and shone a pale, silverish blue, the viens underneath its surface visable. Along its back were curved spikes that went from it’s head to the tip of it’s tail. And sitting in the gap in the spikes was a man in a saddle.
He looked only four years older than me, having brownish blonde hair that was messily arranged on his head and brown eyes. His armor wasn’t recognizable to me. No one of my kind could have made it, so he must have been one of the strangers who had passed through our lands. At his belt there was a sword in a shimmering blue sheath that matched the color of the large flying reptile he was upon. Upon the sheath was the runes FIRE—the name of the sword. He waved to the crowd and smiled to them as the creature he was on came to a stop, but remained standing.
The man quickly cast the same spell as the king and begun speaking.
“Hello all who have come to this year’s games. I wish you all luck and may the stars watch over you!” He said in the ancient language to all of us who were standing before him.
I wondered why he had used the ancient language, then thought that maybe he had to because it was the only language both our races understood. He was clearly not an Angel when you looked at him closely. His eyes were only one color and his skin wasn’t pale, but peach. He probably didn’t have wings either and that’s why he relied on his flying reptile to carry him around.
As soon as he had finished his part, his reptile had lept into the sky and taken him up into the air, where he circled around and then landed on the opposite side of the arena’s wall where he had probably started. Later on, I betted, he would probably be up sitting next to the king with all his nobles. For now though, my attention was on the king’s hand which had raised into the sky. The exact moment it dropped, I seperated myself from the group. I kept my senses open for anyone about to attack me while I had my back temporarily open to attacks.
I reached the wall in fifteen strides and flipped around, ready to face any who came to me. I watched as many were taken off guard, having been amazed by the man and his large lizard, and they were the firsts to go down. Most sorcerers took advantage over them and cast a simple spell to make your body heavier, thus forcing you to the ground. Their minds were overwelmed from the other magicians and they laid hopeless, sprawled out on the dirt. Those who remained standing began taking out those around them.
For instance, those who were on the outside of the mess that hadn’t moved suddenly found themselves flying backwards as the stronger magicians attempted to make more room for themselves and get rid of the pests. My armor had wards that had been forged into the tiny links of chain the day they were made. One of the many wards in it was one that helped me collect small amounts of energy from the people around me. It didn’t kill them and it didn’t draw their magical power from them, it only weakened them and made my pool of energy larger.
Another ward made any who attacked find that their spells were suddenly weaker than what they had been before. Just like how the armor repelled swords, it also repelled most magical attacks from help from my pool of energy. There were other countless others that were small, but significant in ways that protected me, but I could go on and on about them. I was sure that my wards plus the armor’s would protect me from from attacks. The only thing I have to worry about is fighting back.
Spells to protect was the only kind I had been taught in my schooling with the other children. I knew the words for knocking people off their feet and making them not see clearly, but other than that I didn’t know much. I hoped that at least those few words would get me passed the first round. After that, I didn’t know what I would do.
My first opponet was a girl who had accidently been backing up from the dueling group and hadn’t been checking her back. I spoke the word to knock her off her feet, which caused her to fall on the ground on her back. She hadn’t put up any defensive wards at all. Next, I described in a few short words what I wanted to happen to the girl while she was still on the ground. She was picked up and tossed like a peble and when she hit the ground she rebounded once, spinning in the air, then came to a halt on the other side of the arena. The girl was taken away by one of the soldiers when she sat up on the ground, but hadn’t moved since I threw her.
I remained guarding myself against the wall, shouting the words to throw people away from me above the wall of noise that had built up. The competition turned into whoever could say their words faster or come up with a way to by pass each others wards. Once, a boy a year older than me approached me. He had been fighting in the mess of sorcerers, but had decided to try his luck on the outside. He wanted my spot and he had chosen me because he must have figured out the words to bypass my wards.
I had just barely been able to think of a way to surpass his wards without dirrectly effecting them. The words for polishing armor had come to mind, and I had thrown in the words light and reflective into the mix. The end result was that it temporarily blinded the boy when my armor reflected the rays of the sun at his eyes. I managed to shout the word to toss him at another magician who had noticed me because of the flash of light and caught them both off guard. They fell to the ground in a heap and then imediately began fighting each other after they recovered.
With one crisis down and many to face, I kept my eyes and ears alert, along with sensing for patterns in the magic around me. If anyone tried to attack me from afar, I would know. Once the weaker sorcerers were sorted out, the stronger magicians began fighting each other. I stayed in my corner and watched as guards approached those who had been knocked out cold or those who were too tired to continue. Some had to be led out by force, but they never paid much attention to them. Out of the crowd that had been four hundred, I estimated that less than half remained now. I only had to survive a little longer.
More people approached me and I swatted them aside before they could reach. All I had to do to adjust the spell for long range was describe what they were wearing or something specific that other people didn’t have. Sometimes it back fired and I accidently threw the wrong person backwards. I memorized the words of those around me who fought without knowing that I was near and observed what the results were. In that way, I learned the spell to make dust get in someone’s eye or lift a rock off the ground to strike a foe, and many other simple spells that I could preform.
With still at least two hundred people fighting in the arena and the sun at noon exactly, I knew that the fight wasn’t going to last much longer.
Round One Ends
　
By late afternoon, there were only one hundred and fifty persons left out on the field. I was still one of them. My strategy to remain on the outside had worked so far. The stronger magicians were eliminating those who were moderate at using magic, leaving each other alone now that they weeded the true spell casters out. They would wait to duel each other in the one on one rounds later in the week. Right now they were focused on taking out fifty people so that they could move on already.
My light reflecting trick worked a couple more times until other enemies realized what I was doing and shielded their eyes with spells. The first one to react to my spell as I cast it just used his arm to cover his face though. I managed to alter my light spell so that it altered light around me so that I became invisible instead of reflecting the light to make me brighter. When he removed his arm and saw nothing, he turned around expecting me behind him. I cast a spell that launched him over to one of the stronger casters and out of my way.
I wasn’t the only one using the invisiblity spell to hide myself. Another magician some ways down from me was stuck where he was as two sorcerers dueled it out between each other. He didn’t dare change the flow of magic in his spell or alert the two of his presence. They had neglected to see him before and would continue to unless somebody did something. I took the dust spell and combined it with the rock spell, and adding a few more elements, I dirrected the magic towards him. The dust on the ground imediatly rose and stuck to his figure. He was still invisible, but now a dust cloud floated around him that took his shape.
One of the socerers noticed this and dispelled him quickly, stripping him of his wards and sending him flat on his back to the ground. His mind had been over ridden with the two intruders working together. Once he was finished though, they returned to dueling with each other. A magician who only knew how to preform close combat spells was coming towards me, thinking I would be easy prey. We’d been watching each other for some time, because both of us had been sticking to the same plan. Now he felt he could take me on, without any of the risks of the higher ups butting in on us since they were already focused on dueling mages at least partly as good as them.
I shouted words that caused the roots of dying plants on the ground to spout up and intagle him. They climbed up his limbs at an alarming rate and he tried to peel them off, not knowing a counter spell for rapidly growing plants. Losing his calm exterior had helped him to his doom and he was wrapped up tight in them. I allowed his nose to remain uncovered so that he could still breathed. Moments later a guard came in and pulled him out of the arena, still wrapped up in the plants.
It wasn’t long until one hundred was called out and the King stood up to announce the end of the fight.
“Congradulations to the one hundred of you who are still standing. This is the end of the first round, where you will gain numbers that state your rank of performance as you leave the stadium. May you regain your strength quickly during the night for tomorrow’s fight!” He declared.
Upon the announcement, I let my invisiblity spell fade. A sorcerer who had been relatively close to me was momentarly startled at my sudden reappearance, then fustration crossed his face. Many of the simple spells had been forgoten by the tougher magicians, and their ignorance had allowed me to continue onto the second round. This man obviously hadn’t thought there would be people cloaking themselves in the arena.
I went to the doorway closest to me. Once again I felt the eyes of the nobles on me. Now not only was I a field girl with unusual hair color, and a full set of armor. I was also one that knew enough spells to get her through the first round. Earning their favor wasn’t really my goal. I didn’t care about winning all that much either, or at least not as much as some of the other people competing in the games. As I walked through the doorway, I was given a wooden tab with the number seventy three.
If that was the number of my performance, then I hadn’t done as good as I had thought originally. I would have to hope in the second round that I’d be paired up by one of the twenty seven others that did worse than me. Tomorrow though, I’d have to sit through all the other’s matches until my name was called. For the meantime, I returned to my temporary home to rest for the night. Much of my energy had been drained sustaining the invisibility spell and picking up and tossing entire persons took a lot of energy too.
How did the match go for you? Canna asked as I wearily walked inside the house.
I got seventy three. I replied tiredly, hanging the wooden token up with the key on the peg.
In a complete walled area of the home that was away from the doorway, there was a bath. I took advantage of it, since I’d been out in the hot sun and dust all day long. The pipes that carried and took the water away were enchanted to fill the bath at the appropriate height with the turn of a nob. When you turned the nob all the way to the right it filled the tub. The left drained it and the middle was neutral. I soaked in it for half an hour, then decided I better change into clothing and head to bed.
I woke the following morning on the second day of the magic tournament. Since all I had was the one set of armor, I redressed into it. Last night I had worn the white shorts and long sleeved top as sleeping wear, so all I had to do was slip the main piece on and the stalkings and boots. I re-strapped the iron arm guards on and clasped the metal chain at my neck.
Good luck! Canna called after me again as I left the house early.
I traveled the streets to the arena down the same path I took yesterday. Eating a small breakfast of bread and cheese that I bought on my way provided me with some strength. I continued on to the arena where I showed them my wooden token and the woman checked to make sure that it was the real one. She passed me and told me where to go inside. The arena had been transformed again. There was a raised circle of stone in the middle of just yesterday I had stood and listened to the King’s speech. It was large enough to provide those battling room and small enough that they would remain in each other’s range the entire time.
Stairs encircling the outside spiraled up on either side of the stone so that the challengers would climb up and find themselves facing each other. The stands for the challengers were exactly across from where the stairs touched the ground. They were attatched to the stands for the viewers, but where on the flat ground while the viewers were up in the air. I had seen the challenger’s stands yesterday, but not the center stone. It must have been covered in a layer of dirt yesterday and that’s why I hadn’t seen it. Maybe I should have watched the first week of games after all.
My seat was in the challenger stands that were divided underneath the king’s stands. There were two, one on each side of the invisible door that had revealed the king’s friend. My opponet would be one of the people sitting in the solid stand on the opposite side. I noticed with annoyance this time that there were still a few of the noble’s eyes on me again. I took my seat and sat down. The King’s friend, Eragon I think his name was, was sitting in the booth with the king observing the games. It was probably difficult for him to understand the point for our fights and tournaments, being an outsider and all.
This time, with my attention not depending on whether I noticed my next opponet or not, I noticed that there were twelve other figures in the king’s favorites stands that weren’t Angels either. They had some-what pale skin and cat-like features. One of them greatly so. His body was covered in midnight blue fur and his eyes were bright yellow like a hawk’s. I wondered what sort of creature he was and declared that he most deffinately was one of the strangers that had came with the man named Eragon.
The first match started after a short word from the king, repeating the rules and changing a few.
“Welcome to the second round of the sorcerer tournament. As you all may know, only fifty challengers can move onto the third round tomorrow. All of you have been paired off and will fight today against your opponet until you force them off the edge of the raised stone. The rule that you may not kill you opponet still stands. May luck be with you all!” He cried out.
Eragon did not speak this time and remained sitting in the chair beside the king. I wondered where his sapphire lizard had vanished to when I spotted her head stretching over the back of the stadium to watch as well. She seemed as intelegent as Canna, but I dared not probe her mind in fear of outraging her. I refered to the creature as a her only by a guess. The first match began after the King’s words and everyone settled in to watch the fight.
The first pair’s fight was quick. The man must have been distracted from the sight of the blue furred beast up in the stands near the king and hadn’t paid attention to the king’s hand itself. The other man muttered a single spell that by-passed all his wards and flung him off the side. He landed with a thud on the ground. The crowd cheered over the quickly decided match. Not paying attention to your surroundings was your fault if your opponet knocked you out while you were unawares.
The beaten challenger left the arena completely. The winner walked off the stone platform and went to an third empty stand that had just come to my attention on the far side of the arena. It was in the middle of my opponet’s and my stands. The winner’s chairs.
This continued on for dozens of matches and soon there were less and less people remaining. I began to try and figure out who my opponet would be. All that were left were men, and most of them had to have high numbers because the low numbers, numbers one through thirty, had already been called ahead of time. There was only a single lady on my side other than me who was still waiting for her opponet.
My number was called at the end of the thirty eigth match. Only eleven matches from the end! They had saved me for the last few that they thought would be boring. I stood up from my seat and crossed the gap to the raised stone. The guard standing at the bottom of the stairs collected my token which he would hold for me until the end of the match. If I won, he would return it to me. If I lost, then he kept it and I walked out of the stadium. I was determined to win though, and reached the top of the steps before my opponet.
He came into view only moments later and I was surprised to see he was the same magician I had frightened at the end of yesterday’s match.
Round Two Begins
　
The man’s face scowled in recognition as his eyes fell upon mine. Suddenly I felt as if I had a chance at winning the second round. This man hadn’t been watching out for the simple spells yesterday, so why should he be today? Although I knew that he would be looking out for a few, it was just a question of what simple spells did he remember. I stood with the corner of my eyes watching the king. As soon as he dropped his hand I would shout the word that would send this man flying off this rock hard.
The hand waved and I yelled the spell the same exact time he yelled the counter spell. It was a single word, the same as the word that sent you flying backwards through the air. I felt my magic hurtle toward him to shove him off, but his feet held still to the ground, he didn’t even budge! I knew I was in trouble then. I’d have to think of a counter spell quick before he shouted something else. For now though, I started off with a reflection spell that would repell any small spell he thought would take care of me quickly.
This man wasn’t familiar with the words and scowled again. If he kept letting his emotions give him away, then finding out if a spell would work against him would be easy. My mind quickly thought of chipping the stone out from underneath him and throwing his feet attatched to the rock off the stone, but when I tried it the ground remained solid. Was the stone we stood on enchanted so that it wouldn’t be damamged? I disgarded breaking the stone and tried thinking of another way to dispell him.
Meanwhile, the man was thinking of spells for me. He repeated my spell that was suppose to send him flying. I quickly countered with a spell that made me heavier so that I couldn’t move anything but my mouth. I scooted a few inches, but other than that remained on the platform as I was. The crowd listened intently, waiting for my next words.
If he had used the same spell as me, he would’ve scooted back a few inches himself, so the spell that made you heavier was out of the question. I rethought my attack strategy. He couldn’t be knocked off, but I wondered if he had warded himself against attacks that didn’t knock him off the stone. The best way to test that was to start something simple. I said the word that would break one of his fingers. It worked. The man grunted in pain of his snapped bone.
Now that I knew that worked, I tried another set of words. The man shook his head, tryed to clear his vision with his eyes, but nothing worked. He must not know the counter spell to clear your vision up. Seeing double would deffinately confuse him for a while longer. I racked my brain for more spells, but I couldn’t think of anything to stall him with. I needed to figure out what was gluing him to the rock, but I could only do that in time. The man had probably figured that out by now, because he shouted the same word I used to break his finger against me.
I wondered if he had only survived the first match by staying in the background like I had. His number had been fifty nine, but I wondered if that had only been by chance. Or maybe the people who ranked me had purposely set me high because they didn’t think I had a chance because I was a field girl. The reflective spell that I had set up worked because now two fingers on the man’s hands were broken. In preperation for the future, I scooted myself farther into the center of the circular stone with a spell so that I wouldn’t be shoved off the edge.
My thoughts returned to the stone. About how I couldn’t break it because it was enchanted. Then a idea began to form in my head. Just like I had found out that the man hadn’t set spells against not throwing him off the edge of the rock, maybe the stone was only enchanted to keep people from breaking it and nothing else. That meant that there could be spells other than ones than that can break the rock that can effect it yet not effect the enchantment.
He had to be doing something with the rock that didn’t break it. The man shouted the spell to throw me over the edge and only managed to scoot me back another three inches. He shouted something else, which only made his situation worse. In attempt to try and ruin my vision, he had tried to raise a cloud of dust. Now dust floated around him instead of me. The reflective spell was protecting me well enough, but it was also draining a lot of my energy. As was the spell that made me heavier and kept me attatched to the ground.