The atmosphere on the morning of the tournament was electric. Everywhere Yaric looked there were signs of excitement. The food hall was surprisingly quiet, with less than half as many people as usual. Whether that was due to people skipping breakfast, eating earlier or just eating lightly and leaving quickly, Yaric had no idea. But he vowed to find out. He wanted any advantage he could get.
The Tournament was held in the challenge arena, so Yaric followed the students streaming down to the competition. He had no idea what time it started, but getting up early as usual was a good idea, as the weak winter sun was barely over the horizon with everyone already making their way down.
Being a part of a crowd and surrounded by so many people felt weird, and Yaric was more than a little self-conscious when he suddenly realized that his clothes were a little short. He had grown over the past 10 months.
The slope down to the arena gave a great view of the stands. The combat area was a very long field, surrounded on all sides by raised concrete steps that doubled as seating for the crowd. There were 4 marked areas on each side, in a 2x2 grid, while the center had 3 marked areas side by side, each equal in size to the total 2x2 grid on the ends, forming a long and narrow arena.
Yaric spotted Hiawatha towering over the students. He was standing in the center of the crowd streaming in, looking down at everyone. He waved Yaric over as soon as he spotted him.
“You are already here, good! Come with me.”
With some slight concern, Yaric followed behind, the way made much easier when following in Hiawatha’s wake. 'Are they going to make me fight after all?'
Hiawatha led Yaric through the entrance and down to one of the central seating areas, before taking him to one of the higher levels. Most of the people sitting here were much older, or had very obvious injuries. Hiawatha took just 2 steps down the line and stopped, leaving a large area right at the end for Yaric.
“These central areas are for those who aren’t competing. It has the best views of the combat, but most importantly it is out of the way.”
Yaric was a little confused, and it clearly showed. Hiawatha waved his hand toward the other seating areas. “All of the students seated outside the central areas are competing themselves. They will be watching, but also going down to fight as well. The middle is reserved for staff and anyone too injured to fight. I hope to never see you here again!” Hiawatha’s signature laugh boomed out over the noise of the crowd. “Now watch and learn! This is your chance to see what is coming in 6 months. And you get to ask questions!”
Yaric settled down to watch, feeling even more self-conscious in his slightly too small clothes now that he was seated amongst full Mages as well.
It took another half an hour for everyone to arrive and seat themselves, and once most people were sitting a loud gong rang out. The crowd went silent and Yaric noticed everyone in the stands had turned to face the arenas.
He jumped slightly when he looked back. 'That man was definitely not there a second ago!' There, standing in the middle of the centermost arena, was an elderly looking man holding a tall wooden staff. Weirdly, he was wearing full combat robes, instead of the looser and more flowing one-piece robes favored by the staff. The man slowly turned around in a full circle, before his voice echoed out across the arena. It seemed wrong to hear the man speaking conversationally from all the way in the center of the fields, but he never raised his voice once. Instead, he spoke as if he was just in front of everyone, and yet his voice was just as clear as if that were true.
“Welcome all! To your Winter Solstice Tournament!”
The crowd cheered at that, some much more enthusiastically than others.
“Will the second year students please make their way down to their arenas.” The announcer leaned on his staff, looking around the stands expectantly as numerous kids made their way down. Most were no older than 13, and many jostled and pushed their way down the stairs and around the smaller fields at the sides.
“Second years sir?” Yaric asked Hiawatha. “The first years don’t fight?”
“Yes, they do! Traditionally the second years always start the Tournament. That way the first years have some idea of what is expected before they go next.”
“Ah, thank you sir.”
“See there? They are making their challenges now. Every round students will make challenges to a different opponent. You can lose twice; third loss and you are out. Each round will continue like this until we have a top 8. They get the special prizes.”
Yaric nodded and turned back to watch as the first pairs made their way onto the fields. Each pair faced each other, and even from here Yaric could see some were grinning menacingly.
A gong sounded again, and each pair closed the gap between them and began sparring. Some immediately closed and grappled, but most unleashed a flurry of kicks and strikes. Even Yaric felt unimpressed with some of the competitors, as at least 3 pairs ignored all strategy and defense and just pummeled each other.
Only 2 fights ended quickly, with one competitor in each left on the floor, struggling to get up. Over the next 2 minutes every other fight ended, mostly due to one competitor immobilizing their opponent or pushing them out of the field. Many of those who were grinning earlier were actually the losers in their match.
Hiawatha caught Yaric’s glance and smiled. “Yes, most are not very impressive. Only 2 have started to figure out how to actually use what they have learned. I expect you to do better. I personally taught you much of the time, so you will do better,” Hiawatha finished with a meaningful look directed at Yaric. Yaric just swallowed and nodded.
“Most of these second years are just punching and kicking, or grabbing the others and trying to wrestle them to the floor. You have to figure out how you are going to win. Every punch, every strike, every movement – they must have a purpose! How do you defeat your opponent as quickly as possible?”
The second round began after that, many second years clearly not fully recovered. The same 2 boys from earlier won their fights in less than 10 seconds, while the others continued for up to 2 minutes before the fights were called. The third round was much the same, and already some students started returning to their seats, having lost all 3 of their initial matches.
“So those 2 are going to dominate their year then?” Yaric asked Hiawatha.
Hiawatha chuckled slightly before answering. “Perhaps. They will have an advantage, yes. They will have better training. But many of the best fighters only show themselves in higher years. Some students need to grow into their role as a fighter.”
Round after round continued in the same way, the group of second years getting smaller more rapidly with each round fought. The biggest excitement was when the 2 who had won every fight were paired against each other. They approached more quickly, and each engagement lasted no more than 5 seconds before they broke away and paused, before engaging again. One boy very quickly showed himself as superior however, and ended up winning the fight with a strike to his opponent’s throat just before he swept the legs.
“See that boy closest to us? Simon won the fight for one reason and one reason only. What was the difference between the two?”
“Ummm…” Yaric stammered. “He trained harder?”
“Ha! No! They both train just as hard! And both are just as good with their individual techniques. No! Simon has much better control of distance! He knows exactly where he needs to be compared to his opponent and always moves as he needs to. Remember to control your distance! Range is important!”
Yaric nodded along as the final 6 fighters took to 3 of the fields. Simon and the other competent fighter won their fights again, while a slightly better than average fight ended half a minute later when one landed a punch to the side of the head, dropping his opponent. Simon faced that winner in the next round, with the third fighter sitting it out. It was over in a flash, the boy lying on the ground winded.
The second-year fights wrapped up with Simon facing his closest competitor 2 more times in a row. Both fights took much longer, but still ended in less than a minute, with Simon undefeated. The announcer wrapped up the second year tournament by calling out 8 names, each of which went down to the referees standing around the fields that they had been competing on.
The first years were called down next, most looking either extremely nervous or supremely confident. That was the only time Yaric noticed any difference between the kids, as every fight started very tentatively until they were pushed to engage, and every fight ended in a chaotic brawl. There was no difference between those who had looked scared and those who had looked arrogant. These fights took longer to resolve, and it was only 45 minutes later that the final fight was over and 8 names were called out. For some reason, all 8 first years seemed to be very proud of themselves.
“Now watch, next up is your class. Watch your competition and see what level you need to reach to compete!”
Over 50 kids made their way down into the arena, most of them slightly younger than Yaric at 14 or 15 years old. This group was notably more organized than the previous 2, as everyone calmly filed down and quietly stood in groups. A lot of the students were standing in pairs, having already arranged who would be challenging who amongst themselves, and informing the referees standing by empty fields. The pairs all moved onto the fields in unison, and the first round was quickly ready to start.
For the first time since the Tournament started, Yaric felt like he was far behind. There was a wide variety of skill levels across the fighters, but even the least of them were definitely more capable than Yaric. Fighters quickly countered each other, changed strategies or disengaged to reevaluate their opponents. Some were even blocked from disengaging, their opponents refusing to cede the advantage they felt was theirs.
All in all, Yaric knew he would be outclassed by every single one of them. The fighters almost seemed professional in relation to the first and second years. No one had any mind blowing skills, but their basic foundational techniques were very solid and well applied.
“Ha! You look like you’ve seen a ghost boy! Feeling a little scared?” Hiawatha laughed at the look on Yaric’s face. “Just you wait, the lesser fighters will be weeded out and you will see our top third year fighters take each other on. Then you will see your real challenge!”
Unlike with the two younger years, there were only 4 students knocked out after 3 rounds, and the next 2 rounds only had 3 and 6 respectively. Each student was able to hold their own to some degree. It was only after the fifth round that students started getting knocked out in larger numbers. Occasionally they found themselves with odd numbers, and there would be only one fight held the next round to enable the left-out student to fight, while his opponent would then sit out in the following round. If he won of course.
Surprisingly, most of the individual fights were actually quite short. Yaric was confused, and let Hiawatha know. “Battle Mage Trokhym, the third-year students seem to be much better than the last two classes, but the fights often end much more quickly?”
“Good! You are watching properly. Maybe you will learn something yet! Yes, the fights are quicker, because each fighter is better. They are good enough to quickly capitalize on most mistakes, so as soon as one of them makes an error the other can usually use that to win the fight. Keep watching! Maybe you will learn more!”
“So, then the fights between Novice’s will be over very quickly?”
“Good question! But no, they will be much longer than any of the fights you’ve seen so far.” Seeing Yaric’s confusion, Hiawatha continued, “By their level they are augmenting at the very least, and should be shaping too. Both sides will likely take longer to force their opponent to make a mistake. Even when they do, each side will have magical countermeasures. There are lots of methods to cover your own mistakes. Magic changes fights completely. They may be Novices, but their fights will already be approaching the complexity of proper wizard duels.”
Yaric was eager to see the later fights. 'Actual magic being cast back and forth? Yes please!'
There were now exactly 16 students left, and half made their way onto the 4 fields. These fights were clearly a cut above the rest, as Yaric noticed that he could actually see the power behind each strike. The fights also seemed much more aggressive, or at least the fighters were much more confident and engaged their opponents decisively.
Yaric recognized the closest fighter, he had seen her on his first day at the academy. In that fight she had cleanly defeated a short, heavily built boy, and this fight was no different. The blonde girl she was fighting was quick, but in their very first exchange the dark haired girl landed a powerful kick to the chest before quickly stepping forward and sweeping her leg. As soon as the fight was called, she stepped forward to help the girl up and walked with her partway back to the seating.
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The next half of the round featured that same stocky boy he had also seen on his first day. This kid was all offense, furiously attacking while shifting from side to side to change the angle he was attacking from. His much taller opponent fought well, but as the shorter boy kept at him and refused to give him space, the taller boy eventually made a mistake and was overwhelmed. Once that happened, it was over in an instant.
Both he and the dark-haired girl from earlier made it through the top 8 as well, before the boy was defeated in the semifinal round and sent back to the stands. The dark-haired girl won her fight, but her opponent stayed as he had apparently only lost one fight previously. The next round was his last, and the victor of that round faced the dark-haired girl in the finals.
She loosened and retied her pitch black hair before making her way onto the field and facing her opponent. He was tall, almost as tall as Yaric, and could have even been close in age. The boy’s brown hair was longer than most, hanging past his eyes, but that clearly wasn’t a problem, as the announcer made clear when he made his way back onto the field.
“Our final matchup to determine the overall winner in the third year class will be between Prospect Lauren Silver and Prospect Sven McDavids. As both have lost only one fight, this matchup will consist of at least 2 rounds. Good luck!”
The old man made his way off the field, and a gong reverberated across the entire arena. People started cheering as Lauren and Sven approached each other, both wary of the other.
The fight started suddenly, as Sven launched himself with a quick skip across the field, immediately entering Lauren’s space. Even as they exchanged blows, Sven pushed forward quickly, getting too close for effective punches. He was attacking with his elbows and knees, even stepping right up to Lauren to strike with his shoulder on occasion, while Lauren desperately tried to backpedal and create some room.
The fight ended when Sven suddenly paused, creating an instant gap as Lauren continued to retreat. She didn’t react in time to the sudden change, while Sven’s fist was already lashing out. He connected with Lauren’s jaw and she went down hard.
The crowd cheered louder, and Lauren and Sven both nodded to each other as they reset for the next round. This time Sven just got lucky, as he launched a kick a fraction of a second before Lauren. Her kick was also aimed much higher, arching up and around towards his head, while Sven’s kick snapped straight to Lauren’s midsection. The kick sent her flying backwards long before her foot could make contact. Being caught on one leg, especially while the other was both high and rotating inwards, Lauren was sent cartwheeling in midair.
There was a cloud of dust as she landed in a lowered pushup position. Lauren punched the ground in frustration before standing up, but when she did she had a wide grin on her face. They spoke a few words to each other and shook hands, but Yaric couldn’t hear what they said from his seat in the stands. Either way, they were clearly on friendly terms, even after the fight.
The tournament continued in the same vein with the fourth years. They all went through rounds of unarmed combat, but there was a significant change when they reached the top 16.
All 16 students made their way to the sides of the field, where each donned armor and picked up their choice of weapons. Short swords and shields were by far the most common, but there were also a few armed with spears or long swords.
These rounds were much more exciting for Yaric, and he eagerly watched the students as the armed themselves for their matches.
“Sir? Do all fourth years use weapons for the Tournaments?”
“Yes, from the top 16 on. Every other year after this will use weapons only.”
“Do you have to use a shield though? We haven’t done any training with a shield, but almost all of them have one?”
“Ha! You have just started boy! Where do you think you would have found the time to learn how to use every weapon?”
“So I won’t have to use one then?”
“No, no one has to use a shield. Most choose to though. It is especially suited to one-on-one combat in the arena, or at least it is for beginners like them. Weapon and shield combos always dominate in fourth year tournaments.”
“So I should be trying to learn how to beat people who have a shield?”
“Ha ha ha!” Yaric winced as Hiawatha clapped him on the shoulder. “Yes! You are learning! See what advantages you can gain by watching the fights today? And I will help you learn how to fight against someone using a shield. But it will be added to what I already have planned, so you will work hard!”
Yaric grimaced slightly as he turned back to the fights. Hiawatha was proven correct almost immediately, as most of those using spears or long swords were knocked out of the top 16. In most cases the shield users fought very defensively, but constantly advanced on their opponents until the trapped them at the edge of the fields or managed to rush them. Once they were inside the more effective ranges of the spears or long swords, the fight was firmly in their favor. Two students with long swords and one with a spear did make it through, however.
The fights between students who were both armed with shields were much more aggressive, both sides trying to get around the other’s defenses. Often this would involve smashing into them with their own shields, or quickly maneuvering into a position that prevented defending with the shield. Footwork appeared to be especially important as many lost when they were knocked off their feet.
The spear user made it through the top 8 as well, again through lightning quick thrusts at his opponents feet until getting an opening to strike. Neither long sword user made it, as both seemed content to try battering through the shields, and neither lasted long.
“Some free advice boy. When you start learning a new weapon, don’t immediately switch to it in your next tournament. You won’t make it very far if you do! Ha ha ha!” Hiawatha began laughing like he’d just told the funniest joke while Yaric just smiled and pretended to know what Hiawatha found so funny.
The fights in the top 4 were vicious. Everyone went all out, throwing themselves against the opponents with everything they had. Shields crashed and swords lashed out as each tried to defeat the other. No fight was less than 3 minutes, and the last 2 were clearly tired when they made their way back onto the field for the final fight.
Exhausted or not, the fight started explosively. The two students immediately stabbed towards each other while simultaneously blocking. They held their shields close, eyes just above the top. Any time one of them attempted a bash, the other countered with his own, and neither were able to get past the other's defenses.
The stalemate ended suddenly, as the shorter of the two leaped forward to try knock over his taller opponent. The taller boy was ready though, and instead of meeting the shield bash with his own, he side stepped to his right and angled his shield out, deflecting the shield bash and letting the shorter boy slide past. The bang of his sword on his opponent’s helmet signaled the end.
Or it should have, but the shorter boy didn’t seem to appreciate the strike to his head, and they almost started up again before they were separated.
“Ha ha! Personal challenges are going to be very personal next month!” Hiawatha was still enjoying himself way too much. Just like he did anytime people were sweating or fighting.
The old announcer made his way back to the center of the field, and called out the names of the top 8 fourth year students. He paused afterward, looking at the audience watching all around the arena. “Next, we will continue with the seventh years. But before we start, I would like to inform you all that we have a special event at the end of this year’s Winter Solstice Tournament. Two apprentices have agreed to an exhibition match. Now though, I invite all seventh years to please make their way down to the field.”
The announcer’s voice was crystal clear right the end, despite the crowd cheering enthusiastically at the news of the exhibition match.
“An exhibition match sir?”
“Ha, this will be exciting!” Hiawatha slapped his knee. "Apprentices don’t take part in the tournaments unless they choose to, as exhibition matches. They are usually far too busy with training or missions. This is excellent! You are in for a treat!”
As Hiawatha had indicated earlier, the seventh years made their way down already in their armor, as they would be using weapons right from the beginning. And this time the weapons were far more varied. Many shield users now carried maces or hammers instead of swords, as well as at least one student wielding a shield and axe. The spears and long swords Yaric had noted the fourth years using were now much more common as well. There were even a couple of much longer pole arms that Yaric didn’t recognize.
“Wait! Sir? What happened to the fifth and sixth years?”
“I knew I liked you boy! They don’t usually make the tournaments in their years. They are out doing group training exercises, and special competitions outside of the academy. Lots of small-scale battles. Lots of unit strategy. It is all very exciting, you will love it!” Seeing the grin on Hiawatha's face, Yaric wasn't so sure.
The seventh-year students were on a whole other level from what Yaric had seen so far. This was the kind of skill he had imagined when people spoke of Mages wielding swords and spears.
Every single battle was fought like it was their last. Every movement was entirely natural as each student used a weapon they knew inside and out. The fights themselves were too quick for Yaric to follow. Each weapon seemed like a blur to Yaric as the students fought. The sounds from weapons clashing often rang out across the arena, and Yaric was shocked when he saw a spear lash out once against a shield, but heard three separate thuds in almost the same instant.
His favorite moment came when a woman, armed only with a short sword, was forced to kick herself back from an oncoming shield bash. Just as the student raised his eyes back over his shield, her other arm flicked out, sending a small metal spike streaking across the gap to bounce off his helmet. The fight was immediately called in her favor.
“Are you going to teach me to use that as well sir?” Yaric asked Hiawatha. Hiawatha raised his eyebrows at Yaric, but clearly knew exactly what Yaric was asking about.
“Perhaps,” he answered thoughtfully.
Five rounds went by before the first students were knocked out, and everyone was limping or favoring an arm by the time they finally made the top 16. At the same time Yaric started to get bored. It was exciting at first, but the fights were too fast for him to really follow. On top of that, everyone was wearing armor, and Yaric couldn’t tell who was who from where he was seated. It was impossible to follow students from round to round or cheer for a favorite.
The seventh years were followed by the Initiates. These students were grouped together in multiple years. The classes in their 8th-10th years and 11th-15th years formed one class each.
The fights were once more taken up a level, as every student now augmented themselves in every fight. And the difference was striking! In more ways than one... Maces now struck shields and lifted the defender off their feet, sword thrusts knocked opponents back, and more than one student was swinging two handed weapons like war hammers as if they were small sticks.
“Sir? Why are some of them making themselves too strong?”
“Too strong? You can’t be too strong.”
“Like that guy on the far side, second from the middle? The one with the giant sword?”
“Harry? The one with the great sword and the steel pauldrons?”
“Yes sir.”
“He’s far from too strong. He still struggles with augmenting, more than most actually.”
“But he swings his sword so hard he goes with it!”
“Ha! Yes! That is not because he is too strong. He is just augmenting his body only. He hasn’t learned to keep his feet rooted properly yet. Probably shouldn’t be using a great sword at all.” Hiawatha winced slightly as he watched. “He also doesn't know how to use that sword! Most of his problem is just in his technique – he isn’t controlling his weapon. His weapon is controlling him. Unconnected use great swords with no problem and they can’t root themselves. Technique is everything, and Harry is embarrassing himself.”
Yaric noted the change in tone as Hiawatha spoke. The look in his eye was different as well, and Yaric didn’t envy the man with the sword.
The fights were still amazing though, even if Yaric still couldn’t follow any actual techniques. Each student was augmented enough that they flew across the fields, charging each other down in the blink of an eye. A couple even jumped, launching themselves 15 feet up in the air before coming down on their opponent.
Yaric wasn’t able to tell the difference between the lower group of Initiates and the older group. They were both so fast that every movement was a blur, but Yaric assumed the older group was even better. The old announcer came back out after the final fight for the older group of Initiates, and called down the Novices.
This group changed things up yet again, as they all made their way down to the much larger central fields. Every fight was fought in the main central fields, and the reason why was immediately apparent.
Students faced each other from the far ends, and the instant the fights started they shot to the middle, moving faster than a horse in full sprint. The fights themselves moved several feet in a second as they maneuvered around the large field. The space was important when fights ended as well, as the loser of a fight often lost control of their own spells and ended up being launched dozens of feet.
That wasn’t the part that Yaric really enjoyed, however. That honor went to the occasional spells they were launching at each other. Flashes of light were followed almost immediately by deafening cracks as small bolts of lightning flashed between them. Bright balls of flame flew across with a quiet roar, and Yaric could have sworn he could feel the heat from his seat in the cold winter air.
Of course, not all spells were flashy. The most impressive was also the quickest fight by far, as a long sword wielder in dark green armor, and war hammer user in bright scale armor, both raced towards each other and quickly began their fight. The sword user leapt back, but the guy with the hammer stumbled as he tried to follow. In a flash the man in the green armor launched forward, bringing his sword down on the hammer user’s head. He managed to get the shaft up to block, but the sword user pulled his hands back into his own stomach, as if he was trying to slice the shaft, before thrusting his freed sword forward at the other mans neck. It was a clear win, but it was only as they broke apart that Yaric noted the man in scale armor had his legs in the ground, half way up to his knees.
The man with the long sword had sunk his opponent into the ground, rooting him in place and defeating him before he had a chance to get himself out.
It was mid afternoon before the tournament ended, but every fight in the main fields were a spectacle. Yaric really enjoyed himself. This was the first time in his life that he was seeing something of what Mages were really capable of. The fights had even continued through lunch, when food was brought by attendants and handed down the rows of seats. Awards were handed out at the end, and notable performances were made mention of. The award ceremony was long and boring, but no one left their seats. The sun was noticibly lower when the old announcer made his way into the center of the arena.
“With the last of the top 8 decided and all awards and points handed out, this year’s Winter Solstice Tournament is over. However! We now have an exhibition match between 2 Apprentices. Please note that both fighters have put up the required points, but both have declared this fight to be a friendly match in order to further themselves. Enjoy!”
Yaric turned to Hiawatha. “Are Apprentices that much better than the Novices?”
“Of course. The jump between titles gets bigger as you move up. This will be a real fight! Ha ha ha!”
“So these two are good?”
Yaric leapt up from his seat as a voice to his left answered him. “One of them is the best. She’s my Apprentice after all.”
Yaric whipped his head toward the previously empty seat, staring wide eyed at Lloyd. Lloyd was leaning back in his seat with his legs out, completely unconcerned with Yaric’s reaction.
“Ha ha! It’s Rebekka? Good! This will be a great fight!”
Yaric watched a large man in dark grey laminar armor walk out onto the field, a long sword already unsheathed and in his hand. Not far behind him was a much smaller woman, wearing a muted red brigandine along with her red leather armor. Her hair was entirely covered by her lamellar helmet and came out of the top in a plume, and she had a long spear in her hand as she practically skipped onto the field.
Rebekka wore a big smile on her face as she waved her spear at Yaric. Or rather, as he was embarrassed to realized an instant later, she was smiling as she waved her spear in greeting for Lloyd. Both Apprentices faced each other and readied themselves, waiting for the start of the fight.
“This exhibition match is between Rebekka Storm and Elliot Marshal. You may begin when the gong sounds!”
Yaric was leaning forward in his seat, excited to see how this fight was going to go. He was certain Rebekka must be a great fighter. 'Why else would Hiawatha seem to like her so much? And she is Lloyd’s apprentice! Rebekka must be good!'
As the gong sounded and the fight started, Yaric quickly realized he was dead wrong.
Rebekka was not good.
She was spectacular...