The battle had begun, and immediately the first thing all three noticed was they could no longer see the orc.

Zoz, taking advantage of the remaining three still grouped up, unleashed from his gathered flames a bullet of fire. As the small ball of fire shot toward them, time seemed to slow down, and the ball seemed to shrink. As it got closer and closer, time seemed to move slower and slower. Time stopped as the tiny ball of fire came to rest just in front of the little gnome’s nose, all of them frozen in time.

The gnome’s vision began to move downward from Zoz, taking into focus the tiny fire spec. Is it still moving? She wondered. Almost as if in response to her thoughts, the ball inched closer and closer to her nose. Try as she might, she couldn’t react. It was moving so slowly. Why can’t I move? The tiny gnome thought to herself.

I can see it getting closer, move body, move! I can’t move out of the way. I can’t deflect it. She looked to her right only to see her monastic companion diving out of the way farther to the right. She looked to the left. The vampire’s fangs were fully bared, and its eyes were glowing red. As she turned back to look at the small ball of fire, she felt a searing heat contact with her nose.

“Bullseye,” Zoz Exclaimed as the small bullet, having made contact, expanded to engulf the tiny gnome. The human almost escaped but sustained minor contact from the blast while the explosion consumed the vampire.

The explosion cleared to reveal the small charred body of the gnome lying on the ground, no longer moving. The vampire, though burned, was crouched slightly, fangs and claws extended.

Bella took off in a run and leapt the ten-foot lava pool in front of her. She continued her pace diagonally to her left and approached the bottom corner of the centre’s larger lava pool. She focused on the human now recovering, extended her hand, and fired a wisp of her fire at him.

As the monk recovered, a glimpse of red appeared above him. He abandoned his recovery, narrowly avoiding the small bolt of fire before recovering to his standing position.

Catching sight of the pink Cambion, the vampire, flesh beginning to regrow, took off toward her. In a leap diagonally to his right, he cleared the ten-foot lava pool in front of him. The vampire increased to a run approaching the bottom corner at the end of the centre lava pool, then stopped. Fifteen feet away, he was face to face with the Cambion and would begin his onslaught.

Seeing his schoolmates already ahead of him, Khalid broke into a sprint.

“I’m right behind you, Bella!”

“Although I think I’ll go around.” He muttered to himself.

Rounding the left side of the lava pool, he lost vision of Bella behind one of the pillars but had seen her cross the right side of the ten-foot by ten-foot structure.

Guess I’ll go left, he thought.

Rounding the corner and coming to Bella’s left side, three throwing knives dug into his armour. Looking up from the slightly embedded red leather-wrapped knives, Khalid saw the orc with his hand extended, standing beside the vampire.

The human arrived behind the orc and patted him on the back. The orc leaned into a sprint toward Khalid. Closing the fifteen-foot distance in what seemed like an instant, he drew two blue daggers and sought to drive them into Khalid.

Instinct kicking in Khalid’s sword caught the daggers expertly just before impact, each blade held back by a curved extension of Khalid’s sword.

Flames still alight in Zoz’s palms, he flew closer to his companions. He unleashed another bullet of fire toward the human and vampire. As with the first, it rocketed toward the enemies shrinking and shrinking the faster it flew upon impact, expanding outward and at a rapid pace. The blast engulfed the vampire. The human was able to avoid the worst of it yet again.

Using the distraction, Bella rushed to the now fading fire, her green flames igniting on her rapier. Thrusting toward the vampire and striking true into his right shoulder, the fire spread from the wound to envelop him. With a crackle, the flames, now fully engulfing the vampire, leaped as an ember to the human and began to engulf him.

“Enough!” The vampire shrieked out

“You impetuous girl, I will end you!” The vampire declared, bearing his claws and unleashing a flurry of attacks.

Bella calmly deflected the rage-filled attacks, “stop being such a child. You’re far too young and clearly out of your depth here. Just lie down and die.”

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“Alright big guy, you and me,” Khalid said, swiping the held daggers aside slightly, off-balancing the orc and launching a cross strike. The blade connected to the right abdomen of the orc, a smile visible at the pain now rushing through him.

A surprised look appeared on the pink Cambion’s Face as the human flanked her left and threw three rapid punches toward her.

Right jaw connected.

Left ribs connected.

Stomach connected.

The Cambion coughed up a mouthful of blood in reaction to the assault.

“You’re not bad,” the orc said, spinning and crouching away from the blade, slashing with each dagger as he spun. The attacks were unable to find purchase and were reflected by Khalid’s armour.

“No more big one’s, guys,” Zoz shouted, extending his index finger and aiming toward the vampire. Fwoo Fwoo Fwoo, the sounds rang out as three rays of laser-like fire pierced into the vampire. The first flew straight through the hole Bella’s sword had withdrawn from. The second mirroring on the opposite shoulder and burning clear through. The third was a finishing blow, piercing his forehead, a hole now visible to Bella.

As he collapsed, she used the brief pause in the monk’s assault, grabbing a Kukris from her waist and stabbing it into the hole, embedding it into the stone floor from the force.

“Stay, boy!” She quipped. “and you, SIT,” She commanded.

The human’s eyes glazed over as he obeyed and adopted a sitting position.

Confident in his armour to repel the attack, Khalid prepared his counter. Raising the hilt of his blade to his face, he expelled necrotic energy onto the entire length of his blade and swung the sword toward the rising head of the orc.

Rising and completing his spinning attack, the orc caught a glimpse of the descending blade toward him. Raising his hands to block the attack with his arm guards, the massive weight of Khalid fell upon him through the edge. Noticing the necrotic energy surrounding the blade and feeling his arm guards give way, he tensed and flexed his forearms, hoping to fend off the blade. The sword piercing his skin and hitting his muscles stopped short against the strength that flowed forth from the orc. As the edge withdrew, the necrotic flames remained and began to spread over him, accompanied by sharp pain every inch they expanded.

Recovering from his stupor, the green flames had fully engulfed him. Seeing the Cambion standing above him, preparing to strike, he unleashed another flurry of attacks. A hard right punch connected with the outside of her left knee, buckling her leg and dropping her to his eye level. Left strike to the right side of her chin, the other hard right to the left side of her jaw.

The orc noticed the single point of vulnerability and rose quickly into a leap above Khalid. He reversed his grip on his daggers and drove them down into the hole of Khalid’s hood and whatever lay hidden from view behind it.

A chuckle emerged as the blow had caused him pain, but he was having far too much fun for the negative emotions pain would instill to break through. The chuckle grew into a laugh of excitement, hoping this battle would continue much longer.

“Don’t worry, Bella, here comes another,” Zoz shouted.

Zoz aimed his index finger once more, this time toward the human. Fwoo Fwoo Fwoo, the three lasers shot out across the bottom right corner of the central lava pool. The first struck through the human’s right shoulder. The second through his left shoulder. The third barely dodged as the human shifted his head to the left, narrowly avoiding the same fate as his vampiric companion.

Breaking from her daze and seeing the laser-like fire striking the human before her, seizing this opportunity, she tightened her grasp on her rapier. Thrusting it hard, she pierced the human’s throat and swung it to the side with all her strength, partially severing his neck. He collapsed entirely, unable to breathe. Picking herself up, she made her way behind the orc, still struggling to regain her focus and limping from the destruction of her left knee after the rabid attacks from the human combatant.

Taking advantage of the proximity of the orc, Khalid quickly sheathed his sword on his back and embraced the orc now perched on his chest. Daggers still dug into his face. He squeezed the orc tighter and tighter, holding him in place.

Starting to feel the drain of so much rapid magic use, Zoz lined up his index finger once more. A Tougher shot now, facing the left side profile of the orc. Fwoo Fwoo Fwoo, the laser-like fire fired in rapid succession once again. This time much harder to find a purchase on such a well-armoured foe. The first connected with his shoulder guards and fizzled. The second saw a gap in his armour and pierced through the neck. A small splash of blood spread over Khalid’s hood and frontal armour. The third again connected with the orc’s shoulder guards.

Bella arriving behind the orc drew from her pocket a small feather and waved it in the air, whispering into the back of the orc.

“All your friends are dead.”

A boisterous laugh erupted from the orc and continued ringing through the room.

Khalid Broke his grip momentarily only to adjust it, grabbed hold of the leather belt of the orc and lifted him higher into the air. The laughter still continued out from the orc.

“Ha Ha Ha, Ha Ha Ha!”

Khalid lurched forward rapidly and brought his arms down. The orc followed the path created.

“Ha Ha Ha!” A loud crack sounded through the room, and a small crater where the body landed was created from the impact. Silence filled the room save for the laboured breathing of Bella.

A door-sized hole, accompanied by a grinding sound, opened on the left side of the room just thirty feet away from them.

“Well done, all!” Professor Hector shouted, descending from above.

Make your way through there for healing and assignment.

The group joined together, Zoz catching up and descending and began heading toward the revealed opening.

“You look a little worse for wear, Bella,” Khalid joked.

“At least I didn’t get stabbed in the face,” she replied, a little annoyed and embarrassed.

“Are you just gonna leave those in there?” Zoz questioned.

“Oh, um…” Khalid said, removing the daggers and tossing them aside. “There, much better!”

As they passed through the doorway, a wave of revitalization swept them, and Bella’s gate improved, returning to normal. A small inaudible click was heard internally by her from her jaw returning to its natural position. They passed flying colours and would finally be assigned their first group.