Chapter 22

Flame and Shadow

The moment I touched it with the intent to connect, the fire mana surged into me. My anxiety burned away, the fire mana consumed my mind. Steam started billowing from my body, completely obscuring my view of the arena. Hunger started building inside me, I was filled with the need to consume, to burn. I was so cold, the fire took energy from my core, and burned it away in an attempt to warm me.

After just a couple seconds had passed, I stopped letting off steam. Bright red flames erupted from my body, my body did not burn. I felt even colder. My hunger grew. The energy in my core burned and burned, I consumed all of the free mana near me in an attempt to fuel the fire.

A tipping point was reached. I felt a small reprieve from the terrible overwhelming sensation of cold. My feet felt warm. I looked down, and through the departing steam, I saw the sandy floor of the arena had grown molten under me.

It dawned on me I needed fires around me, to warm this frigid place. But there was nothing to burn, I was surrounded by nothing but sand. My flames flared out from me, I grew ravenous. I was the only fuel for my fire right now. If I didn't find something else, I would burn out.

Then, the steam cleared, and I saw Zeke. I only vaguely recognized him as a fellow intelligent being. What I saw was fuel for fire, and meat for my belly. Something inside me screamed that those thoughts were wrong. But my desperate hunger, and need to bring warmth to the world around me overwhelmed the screamer.

I charged across the arena, the flames that covered me flaring out towards my potential fuel source. He moved, much quicker than I was capable of. He drew something from his belt, and flung it at me.

I barely thought to dodge, I was too desperate to get to him. The dagger he had thrown landed in my right shoulder. I roared, spewing a great gout of flame at him. I felt the fire catch him, felt it eat at his flesh and armor. It fueled me, I felt slightly less hungry and cold. I felt some joy watching the flames feast, ever so briefly.

He did not burn well, and he threw another dagger at me. This one struck me in the side of the neck. I ripped the dagger out.

The wound cauterized immediately. Any small hesitation I had felt because of the voice in the back of my head evaporated. The flames around me turned blue. The dagger that I had not removed from my shoulder melted, the metal running down my body like water.

My opponent was too fast for me to catch. This had become obvious. I needed to bring more fire into the world, spread it to him at a distance. The entirety of the energy that remained in my core was sent to the fire. Leaving me with less than a whisper, I was seconds away from the point where I would risk spending the stores of my body in the place of the mana in my core.

Three more daggers struck me as I continued to chase. My flames had expanded to engulf the bulk of the arena, so my opponent was burning. I began to grin. The fire finding purchase felt amazing.

The burning fueled me, it didn't matter very much to me that there was a hole straight through my jugular. My wounds leaked fire instead of blood. The wound from a dagger that had hit my knee had a much greater effect. My leg wasn't moving right. I continued to try to catch my prey. His run had slowed, I was catching up despite my handicapped leg. Suddenly he stopped running, and spun to meet me, I saw his sword headed for my neck. His face was a mask of pain, his skin blackened, he paid a high price to make his attack. The world went black.

Match End

Winner Ezekiel

I landed on the arena floor. I was back to the physical state I was in when I entered. But I was not feeling well. I threw up. The memory of how cold I felt lingered. The hunger I had felt extending to Zeke disgusted me. The glee I had felt when my flames burned him disturbed me greatly.

I curled up into a ball. I was right to want to avoid fire.

"Let's take a break Zeke, I believe Angel needs a moment." I heard Samuel say.

I didn't see Zeke's response, but I heard him walk out of the arena.

I heard heavy footsteps on the sand coming towards me.

I felt a large hand stroking my fur.

"Little brother, you will be fine, what you felt was not you. This response to the mana is much more like what is expected. That is why wild mages avoid losing themselves." Samuel continued to run his hand down my coat.

I moved closer to him, instinctively looking for comfort.

He stayed with me.

"I have only known a few Wild Mages in my life, they are more common in my homeland, than among humans. But still very uncommon. They all lamented any time they were forced to ride the mana. It was when they were at their most powerful, but it took a toll on their minds." Samuel took a seat on the ground next to me.

"I read up on Wild Mage training programs this morning. Riding the mana is an important part of learning how to get the most out of the elements when you connect with them normally. I will read more about how it is best taught tonight. I suspect that you would do better learning fire around flammable objects. Instead of with an opponent."

I nodded vigorously. Sending a spray of water from my coat. Which confused the hell out of me. I had cried some, sure, but not that damn much.

I realized belatedly that it was no longer a phantom cold from my memory of fire mana's influence that I was feeling. My coat was soaking wet from head to tail, and the air in the arena was whipping around me. The area I had been laying had grown a bed of moss. The mana around me in my three favorite elements was acting on its own again.

When he saw the confused look on my face, the bear man asked. "You didn't do that on purpose did you?"

I shook my head.

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"That is another thing to research. It is not something I have seen before I met you.. Though I do have a guess or two what's happened there. I will not share idle speculation until I have at least attempted to find a knowledgeable source. I believe, for now, you should exit the arena, and take a long hot shower. We will see what darkness brings out in the arena. In one hour." Samuel declared, as he rose from his seat on the ground. Taking in my flat eared cringe at that statement. "Do not give me that look little brother, to steal a phrase from the humans, one must get back on after a horse throws you. Otherwise the discouragement will fester."

The guildmaster offered me a hand up. I took it, and stood up. He started walking towards the way out. I waited for him to get some distance away because my wet fur was clinging to me uncomfortably, and I was feeling an irresistible urge to shake it out like a dog.

After giving in to the impulse, I realized that I had a much better remedy for wet fur. I lightly touched the water elemental mana, and asked it to remove the water from my fur. A moment later I was completely dry. The water had smoothly flowed off me into the nearby sand.

I headed for the shower. A long exposure to warm water sounded lovely. Samuel definitely had some good ideas.

I thought that maybe I could counter the lingering mental effects of fire mana if I let myself fall into the peaceful version of water mana as well. Though I might not mention that tactic to Samuel.

Water, Life, and Air. They were special when it came to me, it was obvious. I thought it all might come down to the giant crystal that had fueled my body's original owner. I remembered it holding those mana colors. I had a link with them that was only accentuated by my class and boons, I had a feeling that lacking those factors, the mana would still react to me. It loved me, and wanted to make me happy.

The showers I found were large, and looked just like you'd expect a locker room shower to look on earth.

I started the hot water, and while standing under it, started circulating my mana. Then I intentionally gave myself to the water. Just thinking about my need for a calm, centered mind.

It worked wonderfully. Standing under flowing water seemed to speed the flow of my internal mana too.

When I came out of it my pathways felt vaguely sore, like muscles after an intense workout. My core felt a bit overfilled. But not strained.

"It has been 45 minutes, I wanted to tell you that I believe your trust in Samuel has not been misplaced. Your ability to peacefully lose yourself in three elements is exceptional. But knowing how and when to use the others is important. Even if it proves less than enjoyable. I would counsel you to decline if he tries to get you to connect with death though. System analysis from your encounter with that mana shows that it may be the most dangerous for you to touch if you are not ready. I believe your strongest elemental affinity is life. Oh your 'big brother' is back already. Good luck." Dux dissipated again without letting me get any questions in.

I shut off the shower, the magic that ran the showers might just be the most useful I'd encountered thus far, since the water was still running warm. Before the urge to shake could take me, I removed the water from myself with magic.

I walked over to the mirror, after taking one look at myself, I regretted leaving my brush in my pack in my room. I was in the middle of desperately trying to bring order to my mane using my claws as a crude comb, when I heard steps headed my way. I quickly summoned my attire, and resumed trying to bring order to my fur, but in a more casual way.

"Ah, little brother, I see you are feeling better already. Zeke will arrive shortly, please prepare yourself for what is to come. I have taken it upon myself to alter the arena setting. The default setting would be unlikely to teach you much about darkness, beyond its weaknesses. Come, observe the changes." Samuel walked off to the arena.

I followed him to have a look at what he had done. The previously open arena had changed to a dark misty forest. There were a few spots where light made its way through the trees from the ceiling, patches of light in a sea of shadows. Dry leaves coated the ground. It didn't look precisely natural, there wasn't much in the way of underbrush. There were a few mossy boulders in seemingly random places among the trees.

I could see how I would be able to use darkness mana to obscure my presence there quite easily. I walked towards the arch, and set to waiting for Zeke to arrive.

My opponent arrived precisely on time. He gave me a nod, before heading into the arena. As I re-confirmed my permissions with the System, I lost track of him. I shrugged, he did strike me as a rogue type, he probably had some sort of stealth ability.

The moment I connected to the darkness mana I felt exposed. I could feel two sets of eyes on me. One outside the arena, one hidden behind some trees on the other side. The area felt too bright, even shadowed as it was. The light felt glaring. My own fur disgusted me with its brightness before the mana moving through me forced it to turn a patchy gray.

I needed to hide, being seen filled me with a sense of wrongness and fear. I dashed behind some nearby trees, as I spent mana to augment the existing shadows until darkness fell on my half of the forested arena.

I found that while my eyes couldn't truly function without light, with my mana spread through the darkness, I was aware of everything around me.

The mana running through me began to shift into a different mode. Fully hidden in the darkness I was no longer afraid. I became the terror that lurked. My body began to merge with the darkness. I could feel parts of myself grow insubstantial. My claws extended, and grew to become blades of solid darkness. My mouth was forced open as my fangs grew to grotesque proportions. I felt like the parts of my form that remained solid had become extremely malleable.

My mana touched Zeke, and I became aware of him. Something was obscuring his presence. He made no noise as he moved through the dry leaves headed in my direction. But you could not hide from the darkness.

I slunk off to the side of his heading. He seemed vaguely aware of me, as he moved to follow. I realized I could feel something attached to me, a string of ethereal energy leading him to me.

I laughed silently, as I detached the string, and reattached it to a random tree. Darkness could play with such senses after all.

I dashed behind a nearby tree, my insubstantial feet making absolutely no noise.

When Zeke arrived, he slashed at the tree I had placed his string on. The blade carved deep into the wood, at a height that would likely have beheaded me were I there. He grunted a curse, whatever was partly obscuring him from me had fallen away. I shifted through the shadows behind him, and reached my blade like claws around his unaware neck. While he stood blindly in the dark. I allowed my breath to tickle the back of his neck. Before slashing at his throat as I stepped through the shadows ten paces away.

Blood ran from his wound, but it was not enough to kill him. He fumbled for a bottle he was carrying in his belt with one hand, while vanely slashing his sword around with the other.

I could feel a small amount of fear grow in his heart. It was not true terror, but I found it had a taste, and it was one I enjoyed.

I growled loudly, and shadowstepped again. He moved his sword blindly in the direction of my growl, while downing the liquid in his bottle.

I slashed at his side, my claws barely cut through his leather armor. I scored only a slight wound on him.

His response was quick. So quick it drew a small line of pain through me as I stepped away, moving insubstantially through the shadows.

I wasn't sure precisely how my current state functioned. The wound he left wasn't a wound per se, more like a disruption of my cohesion.

I stalked around him, moving to be behind wherever he was pointed. It didn't take long for the pain he had dealt me to pass. But I noticed his wounds had closed as well.

He was feeling more fear however. Even if you knew death simply meant an arena loss here. It was hard to convince yourself of that in the moment.

I darted in, extending my arm in an unnatural way to strike at the back of his knee, this time I stepped through the shadows on the very moment of contact. His blade met air, as his leg collapsed beneath him. He let out a pained yell. Whatever healing effect the potion he drank had, it seemed to have expired. His leg bled freely.

I could feel his fear of the darkness growing. I reveled in it. I opened my jaws and breathed loudly in front of him. Before moving off to the side. He slashed at the air. I slashed my claws near him, before retreating once more. He moved his sword to block falling to his side in his haste.

I let out a laugh, it was a horrifying sound, distorted by my warped jaws and shadowy nature.

"Enough!" He yelled "I fucking forfeit."

Match End

Winner Angel

The light returned, the darkness mana was removed from me. A part of me wanted to be disturbed about how I felt the need to play with Zeke, and took joy in his growing fear. But I really wasn't, and my instincts strongly approved of the tactics.

It was unsettling how it changed my body though, and I wondered if the effects would be permanent without the arena to reset me. I thought not. It was more like the mana had turned my physical form completely insubstantial, and given me a fake self made of solidified shadows to control.

"I'm done, get someone else to be your test subject." Zeke proclaimed, as he took a step forward and vanished from his position in the arena.