"Famonala!" Sophia swiftly conjured towering pillars of solid stone, creating a formidable protective barrier before her as the chaotic battle unfolded. Spells clashed in the air, resonating with explosive bursts and crackling energy. Ice spikes hurtled toward their improvised fortification, futilely shattering against the resilient stone, while fierce flames danced and licked at its surface, threatening to breach their defense.
Amidst the tumult, the twins, both known as Valicar, managed to find a brief respite to communicate. "What's our plan from here?" Sophia called out, her voice tinged with urgency as cracks began to spiderweb across the stony barricade.
"It's obvious, we need to survive, but hiding won't be enough. We need to take a few of these bastards out from our shelter," Mike responded, his gaze fixed on the adversaries surrounding them.
Sophia nodded, a knot tightening in her gut. She raised her hands, speaking the incantation, "Drawgon!" Fireballs blazed to life in her palms, growing in size and intensity. With a swift and forceful motion, she launched them toward their foes, the flames leaving trails of searing heat in their wake.
The fireballs collided with their targets, engulfing them in a conflagration of blistering heat. The impact was fierce, scorching flesh and splintering bones. The acrid stench of burning pig permeated the air, assaulting Sophia's senses and weighing heavily on her conscience. It was one thing to let Mike battle templars and slavers, but causing permanent harm or even death to their fellow contestants felt fundamentally wrong. However, a glimmer of relief washed over her when wounded participants were abruptly whisked away from the field, and teleported to the safety of the medical tents for immediate care. " Thank god they teleport these fucks away burning orc smells like shit," Mike said coldly as he threw more of the flames Sophia had summoned.
"Shut the fuck up, Mike!" Sophia said frustrated but relieved when Briefly glancing toward the tents, Sophia witnessed the tireless efforts of skilled healers, mending broken bodies and restoring charred skin. Severed limbs were miraculously reattached, and the wounded were nurtured back to a semblance of wholeness. The advanced magical capabilities of Helm Hold were a testament to the organizers' commitment to the safety and well-being of the participants, even amidst the brutality of combat. But there was no time to dwell on the scene of healing, as Mike's urgent voice snapped Sophia back to the present.
"Ok I'm sorry but Soph, we need to focus now," Mike called out, his words punctuated by urgency. "See, they're fine. No need to hold back."
Sophia shook off her hesitation and returned her attention to the fight, mustering the usual roster of spells. "Iginis, Silvoria!" A surge of strength coursed through Mike's limbs as he grasped the newly formed ice sword in his hand.
Without hesitation, Mike lunged toward a nearby combatant with vibrant pink hair, his ice sword swiftly cutting through their wrist leaving a block of ice behind, the potion they had held fell. Mike deftly caught the bottle in his other hand and hurled them at another competitor, who, upon contact, turned into stone, frozen in a moment of petrified defeat. As the twins circled back around the pillar, using it as cover, their attention was drawn to a formidable opponent—the druid girl from outside. Transformed into a fearsome owlbear, she rampaged through the battlefield, sending competitors flying out of the ring and shattering bones and armor with her mighty beak.
"Let's avoid her for now," Sophia suggested, her voice tinged with caution, as they observed the owlbear shrugging off a fireball twice its size. They wisely chose to focus their efforts elsewhere, leaving the druid alone to her rampage. The field started to thin quite a bit once people started using area-of-effect attacks to eliminate whole groups of people. An elf with silver hair unleashed a miniature tornado, taking out ten people in a single attack. His command of the air was scary, and the twins saw him pull the air out of a person's very lungs, leaving the poor soul to suffocate but not quite triggering the elimination teleportation.
"Moriv!" Sophia sent another student flying before coming face to face with the owlbear, its paw descending toward Valicar. A magical horn cut through the air, halting all combat in the arena. With a sigh of relief, the girl transformed back into her human form. Her hair was a golden mess, twigs, and dirt caking her platinum locks. She winked at Valicar before turning to face the announcer. "Wasn't that a great warm-up? I hope you're ready for the next event, my dear audience. As you have seen a variety of abilities, we move on to the next phase. We will now witness a war game of 25 versus 25, fighting for their right to continue. The competitors will play a magical game of capturing the flag."
At that moment, the arena started to change, forming natural and man-made walls and fortifications, with two identical castles placed opposite each other. Tall red and blue flags adorned both sides of the field. "The rules are simple: the first team to steal the enemy's flag and return it to their pole wins!" In an instant, all the competitors were teleported to their respective castles, and the game began.
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Valicar found themselves next to the druid, and Mike asked her, "Hey, can you fly? And a bigger question, can you carry me?" She took a second but simply nodded, "Valushfly" transforming into a winged horse-like Pegasus. "Don't get used to this," she whispered to Valicar, saving his response, Mike hopped on the druid's back, and they were off. Chaos ensued below as the teams fought fiercely. They quickly came under fire, but most of the blasts were deflected by Sophia's magic or caught by her armor. The problem arose when the wind elf started flying toward them as they approached the enemy's flag.
"He can fucking fly!" "Drawgon!" Sophia called out as she sent another fireball his way. He cut it in half with a gust of air before almost blowing Valicar off the druid's back, attempting to send them to their demise. "Drawgon!" she sent another volley his way as Mike grabbed the flag. The druid was fast, even with the extra luggage on her back. "Oh shit, shit! You have to do something about that twig, or we are screwed!" she called out while dodging blades of wind.
Left with no choice, Sophia prepared a spell she had spent years practicing, one that she knew would pack the punch she needed. Gathering the necessary mana, she prepared to cast it, but before she could speak the words, her breath was stolen, pulled from her lungs by a vortex. Unable to speak, she couldn't cast the spell. Panic began to set in, but Mike, utilizing the magical might in his limbs, swung his sword when he was close, taking the elf's left arm off and freezing it at the shoulder. Gasping for breath, Sophia spoke the words, "Goroma Va Kora," and lightning shot from her fingertips, hitting the elf in the chest and frying him before he fell to the ground, only to be teleported shortly before hitting the ground.
The druid spoke, "Wow, you beat him... do you know who that was?" She asked shock in her voice.
Sophia shook her head, "No, should I?"
The druid flew close to the pole allowing Mike with a quick, fluid motion, to grab the flag. "His name is Orion, and he's one of the top contenders in this tournament. He is also already a student only competing for the grand prize."
"I'm still not seeing the issue," Mike said getting slightly annoyed by the no-name elf.
They flew clear of the enemy's castle outside of the range of most mages, heading back to their goalpost she spoke. "His family's name and fortune are enough for tuition. But The Bag of Dalioum is a prize you can't buy with money, A prize you just robbed him and his family of. You are going to be famous after this match whether you win or not," the druid explained as they closed in on their castle, Mike batting another attack away with his blade before replying.
"Well you helped so I guess we are in this together." He said putting a smile on Valicar's face.
"I guess we are... my name is... Altheack." She said apprehensive at first.
"My name is Valicar." The twins touched the flag to their pole and the horn blew once again.
The resounding horn echoed through the arena, signaling the end of the intense capture-the-flag match. Valicar and Altheack landed near their castle, breathless but elated by their victory, Altheack turned back to her human form. The crowd erupted into thunderous applause and cheers, recognizing their formidable skills and the audacity of their strategy.
As the dust settled and the cheers subsided, the announcer stepped forward, his voice resonating through the stadium. "Ladies and gentlemen, what a thrilling match we've witnessed! The battles were intense, and the results were shocking indeed. But before we move on to the next round, let's take a moment to appreciate the outstanding performance of our competitors, particularly these two!"
The spotlight fell upon the twins and the druid, their figures bathed in a radiant glow. The audience's attention shifted to them. The announcer continued, his voice filled with excitement. "In recognition of their extraordinary skills and exceptional teamwork, these two have emerged as the victors and single handily won victory for their team!"
The crowd erupted once more, their cheers echoing through the arena, resonating with admiration and respect. Valicar and Altheack exchanged smiles, their spirits buoyed by the overwhelming support of the spectators. "I don't mind this kinda attention," Mike told Sophia internally, As he waved Valicar's hand around. "It's, too much," Sophia said uncomfortably with all the eyes on them.
As the applause subsided, the announcer's voice regained prominence. "Now, my dear audience, let's turn our attention to the next phase of the Mage Games. In the spirit of individual prowess and skill, we will proceed to the one-on-one combat round!"
A hushed anticipation settled over the stadium as the crowd eagerly awaited the details of the next round. The announcer's voice held a note of intrigue as he continued, "Each participant will engage in a series of one-on-one battles, showcasing their unique talents and abilities. However, there is one exception. The standout fighter of this round, Altheack, has earned a special privilege. They will have the honor of observing the first round of fights from the sidelines, enjoying a well-deserved respite before their next challenge."
A murmur of excitement rippled through the crowd. Altheack stood tall, a mixture of pride and determination shining in her eyes. " Good Luck in your fight Valicar," she said with a smile as she made her way off the field.
"What the fuck, I know we did more than her that round," Mike complained.
"What you wanna miss out on fighting for once?" Sophia shot back.
"Know what you're right, this time I'm ok with second," Mike said as he gripped his frozen blade with anticipation.
The announcer's voice grew more animated, building anticipation among the audience. "Now, let's proceed with the matchups. The participants will be randomly paired, and they will engage in a battle of magic and wits. The winners will advance to the next round, while the defeated must bid farewell to the Mage Games."