Chapter 18

A Friendly Spar

When we exited Samuel's office I saw that almost everyone was gathered at the entrance area. They were standing in a semicircle with Janus at the center. I was quite certain that they had been quizzing the poor man about the new arrival. Because when they all turned to stare at Samuel and I, he looked a little relieved.

Practically everyone looked like they were dying to say something. But Samuel's purposeful walk and the seriousness with which he held himself stopped them. They silently made a path to the door for us.

"Janus, come. Zeke, make sure that fool secured the gate. Everyone else, talk amongst yourselves, drink, eat, read, I do not care. Just so long as you do not try to follow us. You will all get to meet our new member later." The guildmaster belted out as we walked past the group.

Janus fell in next to me, he looked at me questioningly. I just shrugged at him, and silently gestured to our esteemed leader.

It soon became apparent that we were heading straight for the large circular arena building. Janus punched me lightly on the arm, I looked over to see him grinning like a fool.

As Samuel opened the large doors to the arena and led us inside, the bear man spoke to me. "Welcome to our arena brother, it is the very best place for practice, and testing one's limits. I'm certain Janus told you all about it on your way to the meeting hall." The last bit was said with a mildly chiding tone.

Janus huffed, clearly about to say something in his defense, but Samuel gestured to some doors on the right side of the entrance, cutting him off. "Through those doors are lockers. Please put your pack in one of them, insert your mana into the lock to key it to you. In the room just past the lockers, there are showers available for your use after we are done here. Nothing that happens inside the arena is permanent, but the body does tend to react and build up a sweat. Some of our members seem to forget they exist." The last part he said while staring directly at Janus.

"Heey" was all Janus got out before getting clapped lightly on the top of the head by Samuel.

I moved quickly to put my pack in the first locker in the room, the mana lock was very easy to use.

When I walked out of the locker room I actually had a moment to take the place in. It was huge. The sand covered arena floor, sitting a good ten feet below ground level, was as big as a football field. Huge arches led into tunnels into the arena on all four corners. Massive stone bleachers would have given crowds places to watch the matches. I could easily picture grand tournaments being held in this arena.

It was very apparent that this place used to host many more than the meager 9, now 10 including myself guild members that I'd seen.

Thinking about it, for all it that the number of people had overwhelmed my senses when I walked through Brightwood. The whole town had copious room to spare for more people. I wondered just how many had been taken, conscripted for that war I kept hearing about.

Clearly having judged me to have had enough time to take it all in, Samuel cleared his throat. "The two of you will fight, do your best, don't hold back. You will be fine. It just will not seem like it when you're in there. We have the very best arena system money can buy. When you pass through the arch, simply reach out and put some mana into it. Then confirm when it asks you the question. Once inside, make your way to the middle, and wait for a count. I wish to see you tested properly to start."

I walked up to the arch, it was glowing incandescently to my mana sense. Holding so much of that strange static multihued mana that I could barely look at it. The whole.arena seemed to be coated in it, it even filled the air.

I sent some mana into the arch.

Do you consent to give the Brightwood Adventurers Guild Combat Arena temporary access to your Mind, System logs, and Abilities? Permissions expire when you leave the arena.

I looked at the text, that sounded like a terrible permission to give anything, I hesitated.

"It is standard in arenas the world over, brother, and necessary for them to function. I give my word no harm will come from agreeing" Samuel said so softly I was almost completely certain Janus wouldn't hear him.

I consented, and felt the familiar touch of the System's mana working through the arena. I felt it grab hold of me in a grip that almost felt physical. Then the sensation disappeared. Along with my perception of anything beyond the arch, it was like the world outside had completely disappeared to my senses.

Angel logged, please enter the arena.

I walked in, shaking out my fur like I was trying to shed water as I walked. I almost made it inside when I felt something ping me in the System. I stopped to check

Do you consent on behalf of Living Wood Thorn Staff?

I consented, glad that my staff would share the arena's protection.

After pausing for a moment, ostensibly to take in the sight of the arena sands through the tunnel, but really to let the arena do its thing with my staff. I walked in. Janus followed right behind me.

As we walked to the center of the arena I looked around at the loose mana in the area. There seemed to be everything with the exception of death mana, which I was incredibly happy to avoid another encounter with. Darkness, water, and fire were available in small patches here and there. Though there was obviously no fire, or water, and the only shadows were the ones Janus and I cast. The light inside the arena came from straight overhead.

I connected lightly to the air mana, priming it for use. Wind and life were really the only mana types I felt confident with so far, and I even felt clumsy with my use of those two.

I thought for a moment, and decided to connect with the light mana that was so abundant in the arena as well. I reasoned that I could use some experience with it, maybe use it to flash Janus in the eyes at the start. I missed a step as I fumbled the connection to the mostly unfamiliar mana. I momentarily fully connected with it.

I was immediately inundated with a strong need for knowledge. This spar was a waste of time, I needed to know more about this world. I was in the dark about how anything really worked. I had so many unanswered questions. I couldn't just wait till later. Samuel could shed the light on so much, he was right outside the arena. I would just -

Something smashed into the middle of my back with enough force to send me sprawling onto the sandy arena floor. I pulled myself away from the light mana.

"You were glowing" I heard Janus say from behind my back. "We're supposed to walk to the middle and Samuel will trigger the count, remember?"

"Sorry, I..." I groaned. I what? I'm such a fool I lost control of my class? That would go over great. "I got excited." I said, like that was better. I started to get up.

"Ah! I get it, let's try again, do it right!" Janus said with a wide grin in his voice.

I dusted myself off. Walked a few more paces, and turned around.

"Ready?" Janus asked.

I nodded, firming what passed for my stance, and watching Janus closely. My instincts were there, wanting to take the wheel. I pushed them back like an idiot. I felt the need to learn on my own since there were no stakes here besides pride.

Match Begins In

3

2

1

Fight!

Janus bounced in place a bit, and drew the dual axes from his belt. But didn't make a move yet, he just watched me.

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I held still, crouched down, ready to respond. My tail was stretched out and motionless behind me.

I pulled the air mana that I had connected to earlier. Feeding it some of my mana. It kicked up a whirlwind around me.

The sand on the arena floor was packed hard, but the winds still managed to stir it up. I could barely see Janus through the mess I had created.

I did notice when Janus burst into flames though.

I yelped a little. Even from ten feet away with my little whirlwind between us, the heat was intense. The fire caused my instincts to flare, it sparked a primal fear deep inside me, my eyes widened, I may have panicked.

I sent all the wind at him, as he suddenly accelerated towards me.

He was knocked back a bit, the fire and heat pushed back with him, but he didn't stop his charge, it just slowed him. I didn't do much more than inconvenience him.

It became pretty clear to me that I had no idea what I was doing in a fight. I was frozen with uncertainty as Janus slammed into me with one of his now flaming axes. The stink of burnt fur and flesh hit me, along with the pain.

I was bleeding from a half cauterized gash on my ribcage, and laying on the arena floor, having been completely unprepared for the impact. Even though I had seen him coming.

Janus backed off.

He looked surprised, and a bit concerned.

He allowed me time to haul myself unsteadily to my feet.

I saw him watching me, the wind I had sent at him had only succeeded in pushing him back a little. Maybe his skin was a little red? I couldn't tell through the flames that still wreathed him.

I growled. My instincts roared, finding this situation intolerable, that fire had to go.

The life mana crystals inside my flesh seemed to work without me needing to actually direct them. The wound he had given me was closing on its own. I wondered how long the crystals would take to regenerate themselves, since the one closest to the wound was quite simply gone after it did its work.

I connected with the water mana I had seen floating around the arena earlier. I realized I had no idea what I was doing in a fight. I wasn't going to learn to fight like some sort of club wielding warrior, especially not by letting myself get burned, and hacked apart. Letting myself fall into the obsessive tendency of water mana didn't seem like the worst idea ever when he was coming at me with fire.

I needed that fire gone. I didn't care how it happened.

The water mana flowed into me, cooling me. Soothing the quickly healing burns.

Janus was very kindly just watching, he bounced up and down while waiting for me to do something he could respond to.

I dashed at him, the water mana pushing me forward like a wave. He jumped out of the way easily enough. Lashing out at me lazily with an axe as I passed.

A layer of the mana protected me, it hardened to ice, deflecting his half-hearted strike.

I spun around, swirling back towards him.

The general area around him was engulfed in fire. I could feel its hate, its desire to consume everything. It could not continue to exist.

I allowed the water mana to use energy freely from my core, it manifested a torrent of water, sending it hurling at extreme speeds toward the enemy ahead of me in a giant wave. I came running along, the wave picked me up and carried me in with it. We flowed at amazing speed toward the wall of hate surrounding my opponent.

Janus had time to flare up his fire aura, and hold his axes defensively in front of himself, unable to dodge the enormous tidal wave that had been summoned with a large chunk of my mana, and all of the water elemental mana that had gathered to me.

Wave of water and wall of flames clashed. The flames gave way. The wave crashed into Janus like a truck, sending his arms flailing with his useless attempt to protect himself from the force of the mass of water impacting him, and knocking him off his feet. I landed on top of him.

I immediately slammed my spiked staff down mercilessly into his head. The remaining water element lent my blow the force of a crashing wave. I needed him gone. The fire man needed to be extinguished.

Match End

Winner Angel

The water mana was ripped from me, sending my mind reeling. I found myself standing near the arena entrance. My mind, an unfocused whirl.

I couldn't believe what I'd done. I had just smashed Janus's head like a damn grapefruit. That poor man, I thought the arena was meant to be safe. I was wracked with guilt for letting myself do such a thing. I felt tears form in my eyes.

"Ha!" I heard from some distance away. "The hell was that Angel? You started off so… then you started glowing blue.. and..? Are you okay?"

I lifted my eyes to stare at Janus standing across the arena from me. Completely fine. He had seemed delighted, even. Before becoming concerned for me, the person who just crushed his damn head. I didn't want to think about what the experience was like on his end. The pain of the wounds I had taken had felt entirely real, though he did seem fine. Maybe he was used to it?

I was completely unprepared when I was hit in the back of the head with what felt like a brick.

Samuel had practically teleported over to give me what I'm sure for him was a light slap.

"Yes, please Angel, do tell, what the hell was that?" He did not seem happy. I felt his dominance pushing on my instincts again.

I ducked my head, ashamed. I knew giving myself to the mana was supposed to be a last resort. I wouldn't learn much if I just let the mana take over all the time.

Wait, that wasn't true at all. "I let the water mana show me how to fight fire." I declared, with as much confidence as I could muster under the pressure I felt from the old bear.

"Seemed to work pretty well from my end!" I heard Janus chip in, in my defense.

"That will be all Janus, go back to the hall and get yourself a drink. Angel and I will have a bit of a private training session." Samuel ordered.

"Awww, alright boss, that was so cool Angel, we'll have to go again." Janus exclaimed as he walked past me out of the arena. Kicking the sand as he went, like a kid whose parents had called him in from a fun game for dinner.

I stayed silent, Samuel glared at me. I really wanted to dig a hole in the sand and hide.

When we heard the doors to the arena close behind Janus, Samuel spoke again.

"I expected your problem would be shifting forms, I'm glad you didn't. But what you did…" He sighed.

I tried to stare a hole in the sand. "I had to let the water show me the way. I didn't know how to ask it to do anything like that. I only really know air and life mana… and the fire…" Scared the shit out of me, I didn't need to say.

"How long have you had your class, Angel? You should know, losing themselves to the mana too often is how Wild Mages end up going mad." He sounded both angry, and worried.

"A week?" I said, not actually sure.

"A week!? You do not look like a child." He gazed at me as if seeing me for the first time. "Do Spirit Beasts age differently? You did seem small.. but I did not imagine.. Dammit."

I had no clue how fast Mana Beasts aged, but I did remember the dream, the beast who gave me this body had only just reached adulthood. Plus it made a damn good excuse for my cluelessness, so I just let him keep that conclusion. I didn't answer, I also didn't meet his eyes.

"Okay little brother… that changes things. I will stand here, ready to receive your attack. I want you to do what you did at the end. But do it without being forced to ride the mana."

I had… some idea of how the mana needed to act now. I focused on what happened when I made that charge. Trying to think of everything the mana did when it was flowing through me. It was remarkably easy to remember it in detail. Sending that detailed image of how the mana had to act through such a weak connection to make it happen, not so much.

I sought out a loose connection with the water mana, working hard to form a mental image, and convey the idea of the charge I had performed while I was under its influence earlier.

I charged at Samuel, pouring my mana into the movement. A wave of water surging to existence around me, pulling me forward as I ran.

It was nowhere near as fast. The water and I slammed into a wall made of bear man. He caught my staff in his hand, the thorns on it completely unable to so much as scratch him. He pushed me away with his other hand.

"That is not good enough. Try again." He grumbled and backed away.

I called the mana, put more into it. This time focusing on how it had added speed and momentum to my movement. I got to him and was thrown away, it was faster that time.

"Again."

Over the next few hours I got very tired of that word. Samuel had me work on that one move over and over again.

He only allowed me short breaks. When he realized how well I could restore my mana they became shorter.

We did have to reset the arena a few times. As I ate through all the free mana in the vicinity. Theoretically I might have been able to consume the stuff in the arena walls, but that seemed like a profoundly bad idea. The mana levels returned to the exact same point every time it was reset. No matter how much of it I ate.

By the time I managed to repeat the overwhelming charge I had executed when I was riding the mana, to no great effect on Samuel, I might add. I was ready to die of exhaustion.

"Good enough. We'll begin again in the afternoon. I will ask Nefen for advice on how best to train you."

I gulped.

I needed a damn drink, some food, and a place to sleep. I said as much.

"You'll have them, little brother. Come, do not forget your pack." The big bear man slapped me gently on the back, almost sending me to the floor making my bones protest the abuse. Then casually walked out of the arena.

I followed, I was feeling so exhausted that my mind was entirely on how I wouldn't mind taking a nap at the arena entrance.