And here's the seventh chapter, my first try at fight scenes. Now the fights are pretty short, but that's related to the lack of mana of what are Rank 1 magicians.
Chapter 11
Maru could now talk to me outside of my dream realm, or soul realm whatever it is. Right now however I have more important things to do, the final test is nigh.
My group has separated out into the crowd as we instead descend to the lower floors of the tower. Beneath the surface is concealed a massive arena which i can only peek into through small slits in the stairwell wall. Our group is split in two, those who are spectators take to the stands while the rest of us walk onto the ground floor.
As I walk I to the large clearing I can see the huge cavern this place is set in, that the tower is built over. A circular construct that surrounds our battleground , the rows of seats in the stands as well as arcane inscriptions everywhere. It reminds me of a description of the colosseum that once existed in Eldwyre, now consigned to history.
In the centre is a raised platform, surrounded by a shallow pool of water and four lanterns.
“Welcome to the final testing ground.” A voice echoes down from a box in the stands, in the center I can hardly see an old man. Hunched over and covered in dark colours. His voice is strained and rough as if the man is being strangled. To his left is, to my surprise, the second prince. To his right is Raul, who looks uninterested in the entire affair.
“Now you shall be called to the platform to fight a fellow applicant and test your mettle. Loss does not mean failure, but neither does victory.”
“Show us your best. I shall allow professor Sait to begin.” As he says this the short professor walks out onto the platform to address us all. “I will call the names of the examinees to be tested, when you are called walk onto the arena. No familiars are to be used, nor may you take your own weapons. Should you need a weapon then please, take one from the rack.” He turn points at the wall behind us to a collection of weapons, likely for those with support based or weapon based magic.
I scan the stands to see a variety of people in attendance, the nobles and common folk have self separated as well as pockets of students or staff. A collection of professors and other sorts are sitting beneath the box already discussing the candidates.
Should be interesting. Coming not from my mind, but from Maru. Who seems to observe the world through my eyes.
“Eldric of Valon and Jack Tailor.” Valon sounds like a place name instead of a clan, and Jack is probably a tailor's son. Two commoners? Two boys separated from our group and walk on the stage, silently each taking a side. Before turning to face one another, both are older than me but don't seem any less scared. Despite this being just a spar, it's a spar that may dictate the rest of their lives. Neither has taken a weapon from the racks and faces the other barehanded.
I keep my attention on the two, since watching any fighting should be good experience. Professor Sait breaks the silence, “You may begin.” Mana bursts throughout the platform as Sait stands on the edge. Flame from the lanterns gather in Jack's hand as he crouches and begins to chant. Pyromancy? Maybe trying a long range approach? Meanwhile a bright green mana gathers about his opponent, Eldric.
I see a faint smile form on Eldric’s face as he, step by step, inches towards Jack. The green mana swirls around him performing same sort of magic, but I don't recognise anything from it. “Let the lanterns burn ever brighter…” Jack continues to chant drawing an ever greater amount of fire around him.
It's been a few seconds but neither has made a move against the other, as if they are happy to begin a battle of attrition. What are they… then I see it. A faint green ring, no many small faint rings. All radiating out from Eldric's position. As they approach Jack the hot air about the flame disturbs the ring, causing it to disperse. Neither is hurting each other but Jack's flames are drawing more mana than the wind rings, so Eldric has the advantage? No it's more complicated, if Jack has the right attributes he can outlast his opponent but… neither knows what the other has attribute wise. Unless they paid attention earlier… god I'm an idiot. I berate myself for not paying attention during the first exams.
The result depends on how the next move plays out. The wind rings are horizontal so jack could jump… but is that a trap?
It has now been a dozen seconds and Eldric has walked half the platform to reach the center, which is the ideal spot for his wind rings. Which radiate out with him as the centre, Jack still hasn't moved as the flames gather about him.
“Ha!” The veil of flames collapses between Jack's hands and he jumps off the ground. Above the plane of the wind rings he has no need to defend and gathers the fire to form a singular projectile.
A mass of wind mana bursts out from around and cuts through the air across the entire platform. A slanted plane ascending upwards and intersecting Jack's position. Wind blade? The fire between Jack's hands dissipates and he falls to the floor with a thud. “Eldric of Valon wins, good show young Eldric.” Professor Sait claps and helps Jack off the platform, leaving us a minute break.
That fight took less than fifteen seconds… what the hell happened? Despite watching intently I couldn't discern a single mystery used by either of them. I might be able to explain away Jack's as base pyromancy but Eldric did something amazing… Someone steps to my side so I look to my left.
“Did you see it?” Tyrell asks, seeming as perplexed as I am. “I could see the wind rings, but not the mystery behind it.” I respond to which he says, “So they were rings? I thought they were blades.” Seems like Tyrell saw even less than me… the fire would have done serious damage had it hit but Eldric was faster. I think both will probably pass.
The previously quiet crowd has broken into frantic discussion and debate. With two commoners having given such a good show, perhaps it wasn't chance that they fought first. The next fight is longer and less interesting however, with both contenders being too timid to push any advantage. The battle ended when the female examinee ran out of mana.
After two more fights the next two names are called. “Zan Cecil and Pyrite Avon.” What kind of name is Pyrite? Isn't it a metal? Up on the stands I can see that Raul looks dumbfounded, is this not the person Zan was meant to face? Beside him Castor rubs his hands together in expectation. It seems someone thought the old setup wasn't exciting enough.
Zan scurries up onto the platform, drawing so much attention that his opponent is almost overlooked. Pyrite walks up onto the stage, seeming to be among the oldest examinees at around thirteen or fourteen. Short blonde hair and flawless skin mark her as the daughter of some minor noble. She calls no mana and stands opposite Zan on the platform. The crowd becomes silent and professor Sait announces, “You may begin.”
Neither of them makes any sudden movements, Zan turns side on and begins to circle around, step by step. The air is still, with not even the faintest hint of magic in the air. I see Zan's small yellow eyes lock onto his opponent, unceasingly glaring. After several seconds Zan has walked a quarter revolution around Pyrite and I see a change.
Fog, as thin in substance as the air around them. Gathering around the ground and spreading out, I see a faint light blue glow. Water based magic? I try to look out for Zan's magic but see nothing stirring. What can he do… silence his movements, shoot lightning and something to do with gravity? Maybe float? I try to recall but nothing else comes.
The spreading fog finally encroaches on Zan's path and he stops a second before finally jumping back. Away from the front. Pyrite observes her opponent, content to wait it out for now as she manoeuvres the creeping fog. The mana about Pyrite is almost invisible so it seems she is hardly using any magic at all. Already twenty seconds have passed in this fight, causing a disturbance in the crowd. They soon return to silence, not wanting to miss the coming moment.
The creeping fog or mist covers over half the stage, Zan has slowly backed off towards the edges of the platform. Now he sits in wait even further back than he started, two yellow eyes keen on his target. Compared to the hectic fights before, this is very slow and precise. That fog is probably part of some other skill, maybe using water in the air for something? I can theorise but a theory is a theory nonetheless. Pyrite begins to step forward, her dainty feet barely making an impression. With a regular pace towards Zan, only then did it hit me. She had begun to move towards Zan at the same rate as the fog spread. The fog has limited range?
An area spell like that having a limited range means that she needs to maintain active control over the fog. So it means this isn't some cover and the water is certainly going to be used for an attack. Probably the moment he enters the area. It seems like the area can only be a circle, at least she hasn't made it spread any differently. Maybe she wants to make Zan think it's a distraction? Or does complex manipulation take far more concentration? While I analyse her actions she advances step by step towards Zan, by now forty seconds have passed since they started and Zan now stands on the platform's edge. Neither has made a single offensive move towards the other.
“...” Zan growls at the blonde girl advancing towards him. He seems to have run out of platform to stand on. The sound of a tap echoes throughout the room, in its deafening silence, that fateful step. Following it is a sound similar to cracking glass, she's freezing the ground? The mist begins to thin in a circle spreading out from where she stands as the sound of cracking grows louder.
A smile forms on the girl's face, perhaps she never hoped for victory. Yet the much vaunted priest candidate has done nothing.
Not a sound is made, I could hardly see it either. But at some point Zan had left the ground and jumped, not at the girl but over her. Swirling gold light filled the air focusing on the juvenile dragon, the gold light itself being spatial attribute mana. Time feels condensed, not by magic but by expectation and hot blood. Flashes of dark blue mana gather, and with little warning form a bolt of lightning.
Pyrite however seems to have already predicted this, the maelstrom of magic above her could hardly be ignored. Water from the ground and fog, unfrozen ice and more gather to intercept the lightning. Freezing half the water as a barrier she gathers it above her and prepares to counterattack.
The space above is already empty. If I had not seen it before I would have not understood what I’m looking at. Appearing, falling like some apparition is a humanoid body, a momentary manifestation. A thin blue tail and vibrant blue scales beside bare skin. Zan takes his human form. How the… since when could he do that!
In less than a second it appears, punches Pyrite in the chest while unleashing a surge of electricity. Then as quickly as it came it disappears, leaving two thuds as the dragon and then the girl hit the ground.
The crowd breaks out in applause, some sounding as amazed as I am at the performance. While I could hardly see Zan's fastest much of the crowd is far more powerful than me. It seems I'm too weak. Some of the crowd voices concern for Pyrite who is lying on the ground.
“Good show, both of you. Young Zan Cecil wins.” Professor Sait goes to the girls side, “Worry not, no one can be harmed on the platform. All harm here is illusory in nature.” With that said he takes Pyrite off the stage and leads her to a chair on the side of the hall.
I manage to make out choice words from the rabble, such as “gravity magic.” Which I assume was the gold light, some still didn't know what just conspired. As Zan leaves the platform those of us still waiting lend him our applause. “Amazing!” And “Good fight.” Among them. Zan walks up to me and struggles onto his hind legs and like a cat paws on my shin. Silently asking me to take him into my arms.
Some people awed at, I can't deny, this adorable sight. It's not that he's hurt or tired at all. He's too small to see the stage… bloody midget dragon. I pick him up and we turn our attention back to the stage and the following matches. Soon however, after ten minutes we near the end of the exam. With only a few matches left to go and only I of my group left to fight.
Talon's fight was pretty funny, while also rather scary. He ran about crying and screaming while his opponent, who used strength enhancement magic, came at him with a mace. As he ran however he threw down seeds, which with his nature mana flowers grew and bloomed.
Salat's flower, rare and dangerous, dozens of them. Poisonous to the touch and release equally terrible pollen if disturbed.
Needless to say he won that match.
While the prince had a poor scared girl, who despite being rather talented would try to not hurt the prince. After goading her to do her best, the prince then beat her hands down with excessive fire magic.
Despite how everyone here is a novice, many of these fights have been amazing and I feel rather intimidated. Unsure how I'll measure up. When I hear my name, for a moment I freeze. I pass Zan to Tyrell and begin to take the stage. Leaving Talon and Tyrell behind.
“Kadimae of Arvel and Heltor Aris. Take the stage.” Professor Sait says, his voice beginning to sound weary after today's events. Arvel? It's been so long since I've heard the name of the village, we always used to call it just that. The village. Hell I wonder what the reaction would be if they used my real name… the one my parents never could give me. I almost cast my mind back to the village. Feeling the urge to give into the nostalgia I return to the present.
I'm fighting the same person I'd expected. He goes to the weapon rack to pickup a weapon and comes away with a lumbering great axe. How the fuck does he plan to use that? He struggles to carry it, despite Heltor being older than me and a full foot taller. I should grab something, just to put him off. I take to the weapons rack and browse through the tools. The weapon rack has seen some use so it's started to look rather bare, I pick up a bow made of a strange black material. As well as a set of arrows. This being done I take my spot on stage.
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It feels different, staring your opponent down. Heltor is taller, older and stronger than I am. I can tell as much from his appearance, physically robust body toned by the sun. There's maybe twenty metres distance between us, aiming a bow is slower than magic if he doesn't go for power. I can't imagine what he'll do… what should I do then? Use bow as a distraction and then shoot lightning should he dodge. If he doesn't then time compression and use that to rapid fire the rest of my mana in lightning. From my experiences today that's the plan I feel has best chance of success.
“Now.” The professor says, before looking between us both. “... you may begin.” Now! I grab an arrow from the quiver and prepare to fire, meanwhile I create mana and transmute it to lightning element. Smothering myself in a blue shroud. Maybe five percent mana used?
Heltor gathers his own mana, gleaming a colour reminiscent of polished steel. What I presume to be metal attribute. It flows into his weapon, and warps the structure. Red and brown flows of mana burst out from his skin to join it, a perfect union of the three.
Not eager to see the result I loose my arrow, aiming for his chest. I have to time this, the very moment he tries to defend. Lightning magic is almost instant, the arrow crosses the gap in less than a tenth of a second. The time comes and I invoke the mystery. No longer needing thought or design, the magic i have comprehended forms. In a moment three strings if mana link my mana cloud and Heltor’s body. One just below his weapon arm, which covers his gut. Another to his left arm and the third to his skull.
This occurs so quickly I can only see the result, failure. Metal scrap floats around him and my arrow bounces off the hard metal. Something about the writhing mass of molten metal before Heltor disrupted the magic. The bolts turned, veering wildly until discharging into the ground.
Left with only one option I go to plan B, hoping brute force would defeat him. Now, however I finally see the result of Heltor's magic. Erupting from the molten sphere is a set of thin blades, the crowd breaks into frenzied discussion. Both I and the crowd reach the same conclusion. A magic blacksmith? A rare and storied profession. Metal to shape the piece… fire for the forge and earth to remove impurities… his attributes are perfect for it.
I envelop myself in a silver glow, it's time to begin. Without the metal sphere to stop lightning, I can hit him. Or so I hope. I invoke my second magic, and my perception of time slows to nearly half. Better than before, certainly. Although I feel almost half my mana reserves leave me as well. Time magic causes body feels sluggish but my mind is ready.
A strange feeling overcomes me. And my head begins to throb. Hello there. It's Maru? I just need to borrow this for a second. I feel the weight of another person, some phantom straddling my waist. Heltor slowly begins to charge but my mind is elsewhere. Is that Maru in that other world? That world inside me? An aura of death mana begins to well out of me, not dark gray but pitch black.
I am death, and I am become law.
Maru whispers, there but not there, into my ear. I lose control of my body and step forward, from the black cloud emerges a body.
Maru's possession causes my time perception magic to increase in magnitude. One second now becomes twenty, rather than two. Even so I can hardly see the man before me. Wearing a cloak of beautiful feathers, a crown of golden light, a blade of crimson steel and… red hair. He has red hair. It dawns on me who Maru summoned. Even with my body lost and moving oh so slow a word escapes my lips. “Father?”
In what I can only perceive as near stillness he walks unhindered, whispering all so clear. “I have bound heavens under me, and that becomes law.” A flood of golden light covers the platform obscuring everything.
Then it all vanished. A tightness fills my chest, and a cold pervades my every being. Out of mana? Maru was considerate enough to leave without exhausting any life force. I fall to my knees to see the devastation.
The platform had become shattered, no piece larger than a coin. Perfectly uniform in his destruction. Heltor's blades were reduced to iron sand and his hands skin left cut and bleeding. The professor's face is white, utterly devoid of blood and no one dares speak.
“Nobody move.” A crackle of lightning later a voice bellowed throughout the wide cavern. Raul appears before me and picks up my weakened body. I hear words but cannot understand as my mind fades to darkness.
* * * * *
My body feels weak as I poke my eyes open, my chest feels heavy and I don't feel like waking up. Should just get it over with. Raul had wanted me to keep a low profile, but if the gods disagree then how can he argue now.
A mystery is explained, that heaviness is Zan sleeping on me. His body isn't as small as it was a week ago, but even in my weakness I chuck him off the bed. After coming to Zan's eyes light up and he runs out the room chirping like some kind of bird.
I think I just invited trouble… Zan is likely running off to Raul, who is likely entertaining powerful and nosey people. I put this to the back of my mind however and examine my current room.
Why am I naked? I'm under remarkably soft sheets in a rather large bed, the room is pretty big as well. I don't recognise any of it though. A large bookcase covers part of the wall, of which there is only one circular wall around me. A tower? This is probably the room of someone important… That also means Zan will be taking awhile.
While I don't like the idea of ‘doing a Zan' and walking around naked I don't think they left me any clothes. It's a habit of his that I'd rather not emulate. I check the windows first to confirm my suspicion, that this is a tower. A really tall tower at that and part of the school, which I can see below.
“Um sir.” Comes a voice from behind me, at the entrance to the door is a maid. Maybe sixteen or seventeen and rather beautiful. And I'm naked… Seeing my embarrassment she starts to apologise, “Sorry, sorry milord! It's just your clothes will be but a moment, but you are expected downstairs after.” She covers her eyes with one hand and runs off.
In the meantime I examine the book titles, most of it sounds like strange euphemisms but there are some magic related books as well. But just from looking at the covers I can tell it's all beyond me. Must be some impressive magician's room…
Not even a minute after the mood returns with a set of what seems to be robes. “Milord they said you should borrow these.” I walk to her and take them, trying to mask my embarrassment but from her reaction I'm failing. The outfit is in two parts, a long loose tunic and a black cloak over it. Over than not fitting very well it's rather airy, but I guess it's the best they can do on short notice.
After dressing I meet the maid standing outside and we begin our descent of the tower stairs. “Now his holiness is meeting with some important guests milord, the second prince, Castor, the archmage, as well as the Keeper of the land and more.” From the distress in her voice I can tell it's a serious gathering. The Keeper of the land is Zan's mother's boss, Castor is a professor and there's a prince…
The climb is long and I've seriously misjudged how high up I was. But now the stairwell opens up into a hall, no a meeting room. Around this table is gathered a collection of terrifyingly power men and women, and I don't even know the names of half of them.
“So this is the boy?” Says a women on the left, unblemished skin and a glassy complexion reveal her to be a crystal beast in human form. “Yes, come Kadimae. Take a seat.” Raul sits at the head of the table, he gestures to me to take the seat opposite him and closest to me.
“Now-” Raul begins but Castor interrupts him, “Raul we must make one thing clear. Is he that man's son?” Castor despite his sickly demeanor projects much power in his voice. Raul gulps and answers “Yes, he is.” The eyes of everyone gathered focus on me with greater intensity.
“Now, introductions might be in order.” Raul says, then he adds. “Although you know some of us.”
“I am Amun’Ra’Tal’kon’tyr. However refer to me as Ra Tal Tyr, or just Tyr if preferred.” The crystal beast has the strangest name I've ever heard… I'm not letting my egg name itself. “Nice to meet you Tyr” I say, although I stutter a little bit. Part shock and part pressure.
“I am Prince Ostell, it's nice to meet you again so soon. If only it was under better tidings.” The prince answers as calm as ever, despite present company. After he speaks the next person begins their introduction.
“I am the archmage, and thus Chancellor of the royal academy. Reynold Wilkes, pleasure to meet you.” The archmage is the most normal looking person in the room, not even wearing robes but common clothing. Wonder what he was up to. Or is it a preference?
“And congratulations on passing my exam, call me Castor like the rest.” The man says with much energy, once again against my preconceptions.
The next two are senior professors, one of which is Ms Arncourt, Talon's aunt. The other is a strangely young man called Aaron. And the final two introduce themselves as marshal Wellard Helkan and minister Veran Dall.
“Well you all know why we've gathered.” Raul addresses the group. “The appearance of Marek Seteri, the dead king.” This is met with a murmur after which Tyr interjects, “Is the boys parentage not a concern too? Why none but the gods can prove he's that man's son, but who else would he answer the call too?” Raul sighs in response.
“Yes he is Kadimae Seteri, now we cannot hide that.” The archmage says, “I heard him myself, the boy addressed Marek as father.”
“Can we be sure that was the king Reynold?” Ms Arncourt asks the Archmage. “I've seen the man before, he looks the same. The same dignified look and majesty.”
“No,no, you fools are missing the point.” Raul almost shouts, before returning to a proper volume. “How can a barely first rank apprentice summon to the land of the living a dead man? And not any dead man, the tenth ranked magician. He lacks the basic mana requirements to revive a mouse.”
“At the moment Marek was summoned the dragon god forcibly possessed me, so I could not interfere.” He says this with a look of horror, it seems our experiences were similar. “Maru is likely the true summoner, using Kadimae as his vessel.”
“So we have a prospective priest of death?” Castor asks with sincere awe, since that would make me the first after all. Not to mention Castor deals in death magic…
“Not the point, who here knows of demons? They are an esoteric branch of study true, and a heretical one at that. The result of the gods exceeding their bounds, acting beyond contract. I believe one was birthed by the summoning, and will target young Kadimae.”
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Author stuff
ANNNNND that man appears, always spoken of but rarely seen. Marek Seteri is the guy who won the superpower lottery in this world, and he does stuff.
Ok now really, beyond his name he doesn't do much, half because he's dead and the other half because he is a destiny-based living example of murphy's law. Once upon a time this land had many MC's follocking in the fields, slaying young masters in their hordes and it was good. But one day a youth stepped out of the desert carrying his ill brother, one MC to rule them all. Problem is he was the MC of a tragedy novel, in which he is left alone and destitute with all he cares for dead. With some ill placed meddling from Illyria (Goddess of fate, and generally an asshole.) he escapes death and makes it to a city.
Naturally he wins, very very hard. He's an MC after all. Wins the allegiance of five tribes of barbarians and becomes king, yet his little brother perishes and soon all else is threatened to fall into ruin. When he tries to return home he finds that his people, a desert tribe, had been captured and taken to the north by a legendary necromancer. To be experimented on of all things. He himself is captured as well and pushed far beyond the brink of death.
He wakes up in a ruin surrounded by the full pantheon of gods, somehow having achieved a level of power beyond the peak. (9th rank magicians have their higher ranks tend towards but never reach 10th.) and was told that he is to be the savior of the world.
Now why am I not writing a story about this guy? Surely RRL loves OP MCs like nothing else, and having him lose shit then obtain some nice revenge always gives me at least some satisfaction. Well the truth is, he is OP. Very OP. His aria when he was summoned was "I have bound the heavens under me, and that becomes law." Now law is an entirely different infodump, and one im making you get via the story as well. Marek formed a contract in which the twenty-seven gods offered him "Everything." without restraint. Even before that happened he was messing up fate like no ones business, people who threatened him conviently died. Gold would casually fall into his lap and... ok his luck with women was subpar but else he's pretty boring. What's the point of an MC who can only win? Even if he loses it all in the process.
God I need to keeps these things short, thanks again anyone who reads all this. Constructive criticism is appreciated.