Shopping for clothes really hadn't taken anywhere near as long as I had expected it to, with Tulip's help it took all of an hour for the two of us to decide on a few different outfits I could have to wear around, most of them were big on me, given we were both somewhat hoping I would grow at least a little and not be stuck at chest level with people even of below average heights. One of the outfits was the one I wore currently, replacing the basic green clothes I had.

What I wore now was not only leaps and bounds comfier, to an extent that I didn't even know clothes could be this comfortable, they looked rather similar to what I had before consisting of just a shirt, leggings, however it was much more similar to what Tulip wore. With the vest that went over the shirt being intricately carved with patterns and feeling not only durable, but comfortable as well. It also had a designated spot for my insignia on my right shoulder, though I chose to not put it there and instead kept in in my pocket.

"So where are we heading next?" I asked with a calm voice, feeling quite happy with how I looked as I looked down at myself.

Tulip giggled as she looked at me before talking. "We're heading to the center of the city, we have until close to midnight with the 'Last toll of the Bell' that Lotus wanted us back by. And, like I said, you're not gonna want to miss whats gonna be happening, so lets go!" Tulip grabbed my hand again, or more of my forearm and dragged me along once more running through the city.

I had to pump my legs to keep up with her this time, with the speed she could run at it felt like I was a snail in comparison barely able to even think of keeping up. All the while Tulip hardly slowed or acted like she needed to breath at all. The entire run left me lagging behind inch by inch until I could barely even stand anymore, Tulip finally slowing down as she realized I wasn't beside her, or at least not next to her despite her grip on me.

"Sorry-" Tulip spoke quickly as she slowed to a stop, gently guiding me towards a bench on the street to sit. My breathing was ragged, coming in uneven heaves as my entire body was trembling under the adrenaline and lack of oxygen in my system. "I keep forgetting you don't know magic yet..." Tulip excused with an embarrassed look on her face.

"It's..." I was forced to stop, coughing as my throat felt painfully dry. It was a feeling I was all too familiar with as I lurched forwards, lucky to not have anything in my stomach to make me lose it. Though that didn't stop the bile from climbing the back of my throat with its acidic taste and sting. "..Fine... I just... need a minute..." I finally managed to cough out between heaves of breath that were rapidly calming.

"Are you sure? You... Don't seem alright." Tulip had concern audible in her voice, rubbing my back slowly. I physically winced, feeling her hands graze over dozens of old scars, old injuries that were never treated in the mine. And from how Tulip stroked my back gently, I knew she had felt them still.

"I'm... Fine..." I reassured, swallowing back the bile and what little moisture was in my mouth into my throat, I brought my shaking and heaving to a stop. Glancing up I could see a small crowd had gathered around us, murmuring as they watched the two of us before Tulip would stand, pulling me with her.

"Alright, we'll go slower this time. We're halfway there at least, and probably have about half an hour judging by where the sun is." Tulip said in an undertone voice, only just loud enough for me to hear. Though my ears were more trained onto the crowd around us.

"Isn't that Miss Tulip?"

"Whose that with her?"

"Wasn't she the girl being brought in the prison wagon this morning?"

"I thought that was the Vulender girl?!"

"What is a criminal doing with the Princess?"

Those words in my head sounded like screams, screams that told me I needed to get away from this crowd, away from these people. And luckily Tulip definitely heard it as well, she cleared her throat, and with that simple gesture the crowd realizing they were staring began to disperse rapidly.

"Thanks..." I spoke in the same undertone voice Tulip had addressed me with just moments before. "I guess I'm still recognizable huh..." I continued lowly.

"Don't worry, once we're in school the worst you'll have is the other students. And with me by your side you should be fine, just a few days of this, and I don't really plan on leaving the barracks unless absolutely needed until we're heading for the school." Tulip reassured me, placing a hand on my shoulder before she turned and moved through the crowd, a much slower pace, now like a moderate jog instead of a dead sprint.

My exhausted, and rather frail body still left me to struggle to keep pace with her, but I was at least able to keep up now without coughing out a lung afterwards. And with conversation left all but impossible from the murmurings of the crowds, and my own breathing, my eyes began to wander around the city once more.

With the way the city was constructed in vertical layers, the deeper in we got the higher we got. It wasn't a constant, but by this point I would have guessed we had climbed close to two hundred feet vertically throughout the city from Tulip's first flight with me in tow, the walking between the stores, and the now rush towards what seemed to be the heart of the city.

Glancing to the side I could see the rough outline of the castle in the far distance, what I assumed to be the home of the rest of the Royal Family, it was easily miles away on the far edge of the city, so far that I couldn't make out any details.

But my eyes were quickly moving towards the seeming caldera of city design we were approaching. As Tulip slowed to a stop and smiled back to me she gestured to the sight before us. I could barely hold back my gasps of amazement.

The entire heart of the city was built inside of a natural bowl like structure with great walls on either end giving a half dozen layers of two story homes. With the dead center being hollowed out into what looked like a massive pit covered by a stained glass dome. I could see countless hanging lanterns in the area around the dome which appeared to be a massive open square full of pop up stands, and parades moving around. The music could even be heard from the edge of the bowl, every song keeping tempo with the other in a brilliant cacophony of sound.

"Woah..." I spoke out slowly, my jaw nearly slacked from the sight while Tulip giggled to my side, drawing my attention to her.

"It never gets old seeing the heart of the city ready for festivals. Come on, we don't have long to get seats, and trust me. This show will be worth it, plus it'll be late once we're done and we can get back quickly." Tulip spoke with a giddy grin, her excitement was visible, and it was contagious. I could feel myself growing excited for a supposed show that I didn't even know the first thing about.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Is it always this stunning to look at for festivals?" I asked with an awestruck voice. Everywhere I looked held vibrant colors, glowing lanterns, flames of every color. Brilliant flashing lights running across lines in intricate patterns creating a stunning afterimage, as if turning the sky itself into a canvas.

"No, this is particularly amazing. Probably because of all the things overlapping like I told you about before." Tulip returned before beginning down one of what seemed to be eight primary stairs that went down each layer in a gentle incline leading towards the center. "We'll get food inside, they offer it for cheaper than a lot of the stores outside. Since I'm sure you're hungry, and definitely need a drink after that coughing fit earlier." Tulip continued with her caring thoughts as she lead me down.

"Are you sure this is all fine... What if more people recognize me?" I was genuinely scared of what that could lead to. I didn't exactly trust my chances, or Tulip's against an angry crowd.

"We'll be fine. Trust me." She continued with her caring, kind tone before falling silent. Not because she didn't wish to talk, but because it would be impossible to be heard over the music as one of the traveling bands was passing just by the staircase we were moving down.

The band was made of easily two dozen members, with perhaps eight different types of instruments divided evenly amongst them. I couldn't recognize any of them as I didn't know the first thing about music, yet each one held a distinct role, creating distinct notes and sounds that echoed with strength in their unity and numbers amongst all the bands.

Standing and listening to them for a few long moments as they passed by the stairs I couldn't help be be completely enthralled by the tune as it continued to gently roll. However my thoughts snapped back to reality once Tulip started moving again.

Following just behind her I continued to keep my eyes moving around, watching the scenery, and listening to the festival.But before long we stood before the grand glass dome in the heart of the city, the brilliant multi colored structure held five symbols carved in five different colors of glass.

I could immediately recognize one, the same symbol that Tulip held on her Insignia, leaving me to assume that the other symbols carved would be from the other powerful families in the nation.

"What exactly is this building?" I found myself asking in a low tone as Tulip fell into one of many lines, it seemed to be the smallest of them, with the others in this line wearing what appeared to be 'Arcadian' wear. Though it really just looked like it was just fancier clothing than what everyone else wore.

"It's the 'Arena', it was originally a prison where inmates would fight, most often enemies of the state. But after my grandfather took the throne he stopped that. Turning it instead into an arena where mages could fight, and where festivals could be held." Tulip answered in a lowered voice to not be overheard by the others around us. "It's one of the few things from the old days of the kingdom that got actually transformed, and not abandoned entirely."

"So... We're going to see mages fight here then?" I asked slowly, trying to take in all of the information that Tulip had given.

"Yea, but not just any mages. Two of the Skyliners from Silver Sky - the top students of the fifth year, recognized to be the most capable mages, and the most likely to ascend to great levels in the school." Tulip continued, her own voice now sounding giddy. Yet all I found in return was anxiety at watching what was to come.

Some part of me knew that I would be competing against these people. Some part of me felt like if I couldn't compare, or compete with them, then I would just be thrown to the side. I knew they already saw me as expendable, I knew I was worth next to nothing to these people, only let in from a loophole that people barely even thought about pointing out. I only knew two people I could feel any level of trust for, and Darek was the only one who truly had earned it in my eyes.

Pushing those thoughts away I followed alongside Tulip as we entered through the line, she had to offer a payment to get us both in and once inside she was quick to pull me towards a specific area to sit. Or at least it seemed specific with the determination she had to move over towards it before anyone else could get there. Sitting down it didn't take long for things to start happening, my eyes immediately being drawn towards the center where a massive pit sat with a sandy floor.

The seats were all carved in meticulous rows tall enough to see past someone even if they were standing if you were in the row behind them. The lighting was done via glowing stones embedded in each row of seats facing at an outwards angle, dim enough to light the room without blinding people. But what drew my gaze was the sounds in the center of the arena.

Badum

I could hear a heavy beat of drums, echoing through the room as a stage slowly was raising out of the ground around the band.

Badum-Dum

Another heavy beat struck the drums, a sound like booming roars accompanied it that I couldn't quite identify.

Badum-Dum Badum-Dum

The beats grew faster, more continued with less gap between them until it became a single continuous constant sound of rolling beats like thunder. I almost felt the need to cover my ears before a single massive beat of every drum called it to a halt at once. And with a booming voice an announcer called out as two doors slowly opened within the arena.

"Welcome people of Arcadia! Welcome one and all to the Skyline festival!" The man called out from the center of the arena as a third door opened that the band quickly moved to leave through. "This year is a particularly special festival! Not only has it overlapped with with the seventy sixth year since the founding of this great nation, but it has also fallen in line with the return of Silver Sky to our skies, and the king's birthday!"

The man spoke with an almost infuriatingly cheerful voice, like he was proud of every word he said. He gave a few long moments of pause, like he expected cheering while greeted only by silence before he sighed.

"Tough crowd today." He spoke as if to himself before returning to his jovial tone. "To celebrate this occasion we have the two top Skyliners of Silver Sky today! May I introduce the two mages considered the most likely to join the hallowed ranks of the Arch Mage!" He turned to one side, gesturing as a man began to walk through one of the doors that remained open.

"The student who has held the top of their class since their first day in Silver Sky, the eldest son of one of the strongest families in the nation. Alexander Vonstrova!" The commentator called out with people cheering all across the arena. Their screams were deafening to such a degree that I had to cover my ears to try and keep calm from the noise.

My eyes moved to where the man was walking out, he looked to be in his early twenties. Much older than me, he had soft blonde hair, and I could see the glow of his purple eyes from even this distance. He looked smug just with the he held himself, practically strutting with every step he took until he stopped, crossing his arms near the center of the arena.

"And next to him a student with just as much high grace! A woman who has stolen the hearts of many, and may even do so in this very arena today! Danielle Emerson!" The narrator called out as a woman began to walk into the arena.

My eyes fell to hear while my hands pressed closer to my ears to block out the cheers, a shorter woman who I would have guess stood around if not just over five foot walked in. She had rosy red hair and green eyes, and a smile that looked like it had every intent of flattering every person in the room. With the cheers subsiding once more the commentator spoke again.

"These two brilliant students are gracing us with the Skyliner fight this year! Are you all ready?!" He screamed out and much to his visible satisfaction the crowds all screamed with excitement. It felt like I was one of the only quiet people, with Tulip being in a similar situation to me. As the cheering subsided slowly the commentator raised his hand. "On my count!"

"Three!" The two fighters fell into stances as if it was a well practiced form.

"Two!" There was a burst of pressure into the room from the two, the sand around them visibly being blown around by an invisible aura.

"One!" The entire arena fell silent in anticipation, a silence that was more deafening than even the screams had been.

"Fight!"