We’re led to a massive yard in the middle of the day. It’s surprisingly warm, probably some kind of magic. Everything is beyond my scope at this point. I’m just strapped in on Jabez’s wild ride. There’s no pomp and circumstance, the seven await us. No sign of a queen, but the sun is shining down on a tower on the other side of the yard. If what I’ve been told is true, I imagine she’s up there watching the whole thing. The only way I’ve thought about bringing back the sun is killing her, and I’m not about to kill her, so all I can do is follow along.

“Jabez, bringer of pain, taker of light and Najar, seer of all,” not sure when I got an epithet or they learned what kind of magic I used. “you will be fighting two of the seven,” one of the robed seven speaks. “Do we have volunteers to fight?”

“I volunteer,” the loud one from the other night speaks up. Jabez expected him. “Benedict, the voice,” he speaks loudly, and proud of himself. He tosses the robe aside. He’s a tall, athletic man, long face and thin lips. He stands before us wearing black boots and a dark purple pair of pants. A mask is hooked onto the chains he’s using as a belt. What is with all the chains? He removes the mask from his waist and fits it over his head. Twisted screaming mouths cover the surface of his mask. It doesn’t take a sorcerer to figure out his magic is yelling really loud and making things break.

“I’ll join him,” another steps forward, her robe dropping to the ground. “Maryanne the many,” they’re really big on nicknames around here. I can’t help but laugh at it despite the seriousness of the situation. Maryanne is already wearing her mask which appears to just be a cube, with each side displaying the same face with a different emotion.

“You have thirty minutes to prepare,” the speaker for the seven explains. Everyone leaves the field except the four of us who’ll be fighting.

“What’s the plan,” I ask Jabez.

“Put these in your ear,” he hands me what looks to be chipped candle wax that’s barely solid.

“What is this?”

“Candle wax, it’ll keep Benedict from destroying your ears,” I knew it was candle wax.

“Okay, and what else?”

“Just go with it,” he begins to stare at the tower receiving so much of the sun’s light.

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Thirty minutes passes by quickly, Jabez stares at the tower without blinking the entire time. The sorcerers seem to just be having a fun time. Then there’s me, doing the stretches I learned in the Dojo, preparing for a fight.

“Mom is going to help us,” Jabez says eagerly as he straps on his mask.

“What?”

“She’s up in the tower, she reads minds. We’ll be able to talk without hearing. I’ll take Maryanne, you take Benedict.”

“That makes no sense to me at all.”

“Does any of this make sense,” I can imagine Jabez smiling beneath his mask. I realize I had already put the candle wax into my ears. I really am hearing him in my head. “Yeah, you are,” I actually hear him laugh.

A bell is rung from high up above. I’m unaware that was the sign to begin fighting until I spot Maryanne running directly at me. Jabez slams into her leaving Benedict open to me. I start with a throwing knife which he shouts out of the air. The wax keeps my ears safe, but I can feel the force behind the shout. I wonder if he can do a continuous shout or if he can only do short bursts. I think he needs to get close before he can shout. He also needs to take a deep breath before he can do it. I’m a lot faster than him, so I’m trying to tire him out. On the opposite end, if I get too tired, he’s strong enough to take me out. We’re at a stalemate, neither of us can really hurt the other.

I glance over to Maryanne and Jabez. He’s having a tougher time. She’s multiplied herself, there’s five now. He’s surrounded, stuck on defense as they take turns attacking. It takes me only a glance to determine which one is real. We need to switch. Her magic won’t work on me and he’s reckless enough to get close to Benedict. Alright, I can do this.

I alter my path and start to run towards Jabez, I hope this works. “We need to switch opponents,” I think as loud as a I can.

“Whenever you’re read,” I hear him respond clear as day.

I launch a throwing knife at the real Maryanne as we get close, catching her off guard. By the time she’s turned to see me I’ve already left my feet to tackle her. I’m not as good a fighter as Jabez but he’s beaten me on the ground so often that Maryanne is no match for me as we wrestle. The two of us struggle before I manage to place my knife at her throat.

“Please yield,” I ask her.

“I yield,” she responds surrendering.

“Enough,” Benedict’s voice shakes the ground, I can hear it through the wax this time. Maryanne covers her ears in pain from his shout. Jabez is flung across the field as Benedict approaches him. I glance at Maryanne and take off towards Benedict tossing the last of my throwing knives. He’s not looking at me and they pierce through his back.

Benedict lets loose a massive shout that doesn’t seem to end as he goes back and forth between Jabez and I. The wax does nothing and the shout drops me to my knees. I’m torn between wanting to die and keeping my body together.

He only stops when the massive tower holding Jabez’s mother starts to shake and crack. The chaos from only moments ago comes to an end as pieces of the tower start to drop. I can’t hear anything but I can see the faces of everyone watching as the tower begins to fall.