We argue when we get back. I think Riley expects me to criticize him for losing, having prepared defences of his performance, and gets angry when he doesn’t have to use them.
But why would I criticize? His opposing squire was equipped specifically to counter him. Even if he wasn’t, it would be strange to assume that Riley should be unbeatable. The teams are supposed to be balanced, so obviously the opponents should be able to beat him. But he takes it as if I’m saying ‘I didn’t expect much from him anyways.’ Which, I suppose I don’t expect much of him as an individual. Rather he fills the role of ‘squire’ on the team, which he has performed without cause for rebuke.
It is in this mood that I am once again unable to convince them to move the spears up. Riley says “It was a one-time situation. None of the other teams will be like that.” Which I suppose is correct.
So, without changing tactics, we win two more matches, bringing our total up to six. Among our eighth opponents is a mage I recognize as being among the top ten or so from the hidden object game. Figuring they would be hard to target and hoping that if they are good on that front, they are less directly dangerous, I choose to eliminate the other mage first.
About ten seconds later I, and the rest of the ranged group, are struck with the concussive blinding light of my mistake. A moment later I find myself on the ground several stories below with multiple black circles of death hovering over my body. I look to where the shooting perch was and see it has been vaporized.
Apparently, the mage has a high damage area spell they hit us without being spotted. Perhaps something affected by gravity that they could lob like a cascade orb, but less destructive and without the tell tell whistle.
Not feeling like moving after ‘dying’, I stay and listen to the match finish. A few more explosions in the distance as the mage eliminates our remaining team one by one. About a minute later the match ends, and each of the forward members slowly walks back with black circles.
They’re a bit disgruntled. Apparently, Riley was the only one capable of surviving the mage’s blasts, but that left him alone against two squires plus two pages who quickly surrounded him, grappled him to the ground, and slit his throat. Not a pleasant experience from his expression.
With our second loss, we’re done for the day. We don’t talk as we ascend to the surface in the now slightly more spacious metal box. What would be the point? Sure, we might have lasted a bit longer if the spears had been farther up instead of getting killed in the same blast as me, but not much. It would have taken perhaps twenty more seconds for the mage to kill them and move on to the others. Perhaps that would have given Terrance or Riley enough time to find the mage and kill them, making it an even fight, but probably not.
Even if we would have won my way though, it’s pointless to say so. While tomorrow’s test will have the same teams, the conditions will be different, as will the required tactics. I suppose establishing that I was right now might give my opinions more weight tomorrow, but I’m tired.
The danger might be simulated, but the combat is real enough. I’ve never had to fight so much in one day. Run, yes, but not fight. The most real combats I’ve engaged in one day was three, and each was a short exchange followed by running to a different target. But today I engaged in ten similarly scaled fights – a numbing experience, made more stressful by the fact we used tactics in nearly all of them that I knew were wrong.
So, I’m tired of trying to convince them that I’m right; tired of establishing myself on the team hierarchy. So tomorrow I’ll do things my way whether they agree or not.
We return in the morning to the same box and descend in slightly better moods. Ser Terrance speaks first.
“I don’t know why we were all so down yesterday. I thought we did really well. Wasn’t the average two wins? We got three times that”
“A little bit less than two.” I look at him askance, having done the math upon getting home.
“I got about 1.99 in my calculations.” Adrian offers. “Though I couldn’t be more accurate without knowing the exact number of teams, or if there were any draws.”
“Right…” Terrance says, looking at us weirdly. “My point is we did well. There can’t have been that many teams who did better, right?”
“I would guess less than ten,” says Adrian.
“Less than ten? In the whole empire and beyond? That was great! We should have celebrated, not go home by ourselves with our tails tucked.”
“I guess we were just tired,” I say, pointedly ignoring the tension with Riley. I also don’t mention that I had once again begun to hope we might go all the way. Foolish I know, especially after the same disappointment in the hidden object game.
“Yeah, tired,” Riley says, also pointedly ignoring the tension.
“Well, that’s no good,” says Terance, “Adrian, you’re a local right? Do you know any good places to party at?”
Adrian thinks a bit before speaking. “A few. I’ll consider which to select based on today’s performance.”
“Great, it’s settled then. Let’s go win!” Terrance finishes with a shout.
A moment of awkward silence as the metal box continues to descend. I think he was expecting us to shout with him in our newfound enthusiasm, but none of us do. Still, I do find his words encouraging, though they don’t help with Riley’s disagreement.
“…Do you all think you’ll get in?” The frightful youth suddenly asks.
More awkward silence before Terrance decides to speak. “Yeah. Malichi mentioned it, but I’ve won two of the tournaments. The points from them alone put me past the auto-fail range, and the points from other knightly tests might auto pass me. It’s closer than I’d like since I had to forfeit one test, but it looks like I’m good.”
“Same,” says Adrian. “Though I won’t auto pass. Some of my magic is rather advanced, and I did well in the written tests.”
Riley just grunts in the affirmative, and then it’s my turn. I think back on all the tests I’ve taken before smiling suddenly at myself with a hint of pride. “Yeah, I think so. I haven’t gotten to the very top of any test, save maybe one, but I think I’ve done pretty well on most of them. What about you Ligryn?”
The foreign page winces at being named then shrugs. “Unfortunately, I think I will get in, but not due to my own merit – at least not fully. There are political reasons to accept me that puts me at an unfair advantage. I’m sorry if that dampens your enthusiasm.” The reactions are mixed but silent. She looks to, I forget their name, the other page, but they just shrug silently and make a wishy washy hand gesture.
The youth sighs. “Right… Of course, all the noble magic people think they might get in. What about the rest of you?”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Billy, having already discussed his prospects, shakes his head, as do the spear bearers for presumably similar reasons.
“Were you hoping to get in then?” I ask, trying not to sound snide.
He laughs once, then grimaces. “Yeah, I was hoping. Ridiculous right? A poor commoner hoping to make it big? All my family, friends and neighbours told me how hard it is to get in, especially for a mundane, but they’re all idiots. I figured they tried the exam and failed, and convinced themselves no one in their situation could pass. I’ve always made an effort to seek out knowledge that the people around me never bothered with. But I see now that all my effort only got me to the starting point that nobles have.”
I shrug. “Nobles have better educations, that’s well known.” I think about how the foundation of my own education is from books taken from dead nobles. “Some mundane commoners do get in, but they’re usually from wealthy merchants, doctors, or high-ranking bureaucrats. I was under the impression that most commoners only took the exam for the certificates. Did you get any?”
“Yeah.” He sighs. “A couple. I just hoped for more… I only took this test because I heard it was easy points. But I’m no fighter. I had no idea how terrifying it would be.”
Riley speaks in a gruffer voice than normal. “The worst is yet to come…Though most of today will be gentler.”
“Yeah, I know.” He speaks dejectedly and looks at me. “If it helps, then I don’t mind if you sacrifice me during the worst part… At least it’ll get it over with quicker.”
The trick of the wordage causes an undeserved thrill quickly suppressed into a serious nod of acknowledgement. Riley scowls but doesn’t chastise.
We go into a large side room where we exchange weapons like yesterday, but with seven other teams. A proctor explains the basic rules for this final test. It’s meant to simulate asymmetric combat, like in Caethlon, though they don’t say that last bit. Each team takes a turn to try to reach the other side of an area roughly a quarter of the main chamber, making the combat area about a mile on a side. Meanwhile, the other seven teams will try to stop them.
Both sides will have fifteen minutes to position themselves and may use targeted divinations to do so – a departure from yesterday's rules. Combat has a time limit of thirty minutes, though I’m told the typical is half that. Team points are awarded based on teammates gotten through and enemies killed, with bonuses for mages and squires. Extra points are awarded individually for personally getting through or killing opponents.
In theory, the scores are balanced so that half of the points for the tests should come from defending and attacking each. Though rumours say most people get more on the defending part while a lucky few get much more attacking.
I look around at our opponents to see if I recognize anyone. There are other smaller, but still ridiculously large chambers that other tests are being run at concurrently, and there will be another round of tests after this. Meaning sixteen or more groups of teams in total, with thousands of competitors, making it not impossible for everyone to be new to me.
I don’t see Preston, or the mage who defeated us the second time, which I view as good luck. I don’t want to think about what that augmenter can do with so many more allies. I do see Clara Talwin, Erik Hanhal and the frozen cream seller – I think the youth mentioned her name was Emily? I’ve mostly forgotten his annoying ramblings.
Not wanting another annoying encounter, I duck my gaze away from Erik only to turn it to Emily who tilts her head in recognition. I curse a moment later when she decides to come over. It would be suspicious to turn my gaze away again, so I just pretend to listen to whatever Riley is talking about and politely smile when she arrives.
“Hello. It’s probably best not to strategize with other teams before we know who goes first.” I say, hoping to deflect her.
She looks at me silently for a moment before finally accusing. “You’re the one who shot me in the face yesterday, aren’t you?”
“Oh, um…” I shift my obviously magical crossbows around nervously as if trying to hide the unhidable weapons before giving up. “Yes, I suppose so, why?”
“That was unpleasant. I hope you don’t make a habit of it.”
“Would you prefer I shot you in some other place? I would have thought the head preferable since the death would be quicker.”
“It may be quicker, but it was worse. Other places are just painful, but head wounds are disorientating, especially unexpected ones like that. It wasn’t just pain but pain that altered your ability to comprehend pain, as well as some embarrassing spasming. I have no idea why the illusion system would be so detailed, but I would recommend that you not do the same to others if you don’t want to make enemies.”
“Thanks… though it’s somewhat ridiculous to avoid killing people in a certain way in battle.”
She doesn’t buy the excuse. “You shot me through several walls in the exact centre of my forehead. I’m assuming there was a spell involved in that. If you can be that precise then I’m assuming you can precisely hit elsewhere.”
I nod in admittance. “Yes, but you were in the middle of casting a spell I was trying to stop.”
She shakes her head. “You misunderstand. I’m not complaining about my own experience, nor looking for an apology. I understand why you did what you did. I’m just informing you that the experience is particularly unpleasant, and you might not want to repeat it too often. If you do it to everyone, your future classmates might think you’re a sadist.”
“… Thanks for your advice.”
She pauses, considering, looking me up and down again. “…Think nothing of it…You seem familiar. Have we met before?”
I wince, my guard having been down after the rest of the conversation. “No… I’m from an isolated territory. I can’t imagine where we could have met before the exam… Unless you went to one of my cousin’s, Alan Linhal’s, parties?”
Her face scowls in disgust. “The lecher? Definitely not.”
Of course she’s much more familiar with the central social scene than me despite being here for the same time. I shrug. “Well, I must have one of those faces.”
“It’s more the height than the face, and the voice… but it sounds wrong. I can’t place it. Uh, it’s probably not important. Never mind.” With that she turns and goes back to her team, leaving me very grateful for Alan including diction in the etiquette lessons.
A few moments later the order is announced – it’s our turn first.
“I don’t know if we’re lucky or unlucky going first,” says Terrance as we walk to the starting point.
“Lucky,” I say, “the other teams won’t have practice working together.”
“Unlucky,” Riley counters, “They’re establishing roles and organization now, so we’ll be stuck with whatever’s left over for the rest of the test. Moreover, everyone else will know what the defenders can do and come up with strategies, while we’re going in dark.”
I shrug, looking to Adrian for their insight.
“Oh, I figured it was balanced, for both of your reasons. Personally, I prefer it this way since my spells work better when they aren’t expected.”
“The ice mage’s team will tell the others about you.” I point out.
“Maybe,” they shrug, “but maybe not. If they do, then it’s still easier to exploit second-hand knowledge… So, do we have a plan?”
“Yeah,” I blurt out before Riley can answer, “I’ll stay behind and harry the enemy with my crossbows while the rest of you try to break through.”
“…I don’t see how that’s a good plan,” Riley speaks after a few seconds. “You’ll be too vulnerable on your own, and don’t you need someone to reload for you?”
I shake my head. “The crossbow does it automatically, it’s just faster to help it.”
“Fine, but don’t you need Adrian to conceal you?” He presses.
I shake again. “Divination and movement will suffice. Besides, I’m faster than most squires. Adrian will slow me down.”
“How many times can you even shoot that thing on your own anyways?” He continues.
“If I keep moving? No more than six. Though I only have eight bolts for it, so even if someone did help me it wouldn’t increase it by much.”
He sighs. “… Fine. As for the rest of us, we’ll split into two groups to make it harder on their diviners and force them to spread out. Adrian, you’ll conceal the mundanes and try to sneak while the rest of us make a show of breaking through with brute force.”
“There are fourteen mages and squires facing us. They’ll make short work of a direct attack.” Adrian points out.
Riley nods to me. “Which is why we’ll spend the first ten minutes with him divining the best approach. Any objections?”
I shake my head after a moment of trying to find one. “…No, I suppose I won’t need the full preparation time anyway.”
“Good, all set.” He says as we arrive at our starting points.
Adrian jogs off with the mundanes with their divining implement out. The divination on my end is tricky since I must figure out future locations against so many diviners who themselves are moving to reflect our efforts. But at around five minutes to spare I get a grasp of their formation and possibly a weak spot which I direct Riley towards.
I spend the rest of the time divining a safe initial shooting perch (while I can shoot through walls, there is a limit which a higher elevation helps avoid) and then picking out targets. Unfortunately for Emily, she’s the most dangerous mage I know of on their side, so I pick her first. It takes two seconds once the whistle shrills to cast guidance and pull the lever. Taking her advice, I aim for her heart this time, but I can just make out the words “Seriously? Again?” shouted from here. I smile at not even needing the rod flashing cold to confirm my success. First one down, I divine another perch, leap to it, and furiously winch.