Professor Kaylastal paced across the stage as he said, “The format for this year's first ranking battle has been decided and you will all have twenty four hours to prepare before the match begins. I will give you a brief explanation of the rules, then class will be dismissed so that you can focus on making a strategy.”

He turned to Kayla who activated the large screen behind his desk. The black panels burst to life with color as the image of an enormous island scrolled by. At one end there was a beach and tropical plants that bunched together into a dense forest. The forest rolled into hills and plains that eventually became a series of ice capped mountains. Beyond that there was a desert-like area, and a canyon.

There were magi-beasts everywhere, some as large as houses, while others seemed almost human. Beast of all types roamed the island, some soaring through the air while others swung in trees or ran along the land. I even noticed a lurker barb in one of the more arid areas.

“This is the arena we have prepared for you, and as you can probably guess the ranking parameter will be based on beast slain. Each magi-beast has been assigned a point value according to its difficulty. The exact number of beasts available to hunt and their point value will be distributed later. For now, what you need to know is that anyone who does not finish with at least one point will be expelled and have their spell tome revoked.”

The class went still as hushed whispers passed among students.

The professor initially claimed that the first duel would determine our trajectory in the academy, and in a lot of ways, it did. For example, I’d scored so poorly I wasn’t even offered a basic job meaning that without help from Alex and the professor, I never would’ve been able to duel.

If not for them, I’d have had no hope of earning the three referrals necessary to join the research program. Alex helped me with no strings attached, professor Donovan however, demanded success. The consequences of failing him were…severe.

My heart began racing with nerves, but I reminded myself that as much as he expected, he’d also helped me prepare. I also had Val, and from what I’d seen, she really was better than any other spell tome. With her help, there was no reason to worry. I was better now, and stronger. I had nothing to fear, at least, no more than any of the others.

It was also a relief that I wouldn’t have to directly confront magisters like Jyanna.

“There are three additional provisions you should be aware of. First, this battle will be timed and the contest will not end until the time has run out, even if every beast has been slain.

“Second, you are allowed and even encouraged to form teams. Beast slain by teams will have their points divided among all team members regardless of participation in any battle. Obviously, you should be very careful when choosing your team. Also all teams must be officially registered, or all points will go to the magister who dealt the killing blow.

“Finally, every magister will have a point value of one at the start, however this value will increase for each point that you earn. This means that if you kill a beast with a value of fifty, then your value will become fifty one. There are safety protocols in place to prevent death, but if you are defeated in combat, you will be ejected from the battle and all of your points will be awarded to the magister or team who defeated you.

“If a team member is defeated in combat then his or her points will be awarded to the magister who defeated them, however the team can choose to save the eliminated member by dividing the points of the remaining members and giving them to the eliminated member. This will obviously impact your ranking if you are unable to recoup the lost points before the battle is over.”

The professor scanned over the class. I could feel his gaze resting on me as he paused. His expression was unreadable, but his words were clear as he added, “Going it alone brings greater risk, but it will be easier to increase your ranking and the rewards will be all yours.”

He paused as the screen went dark. Then he nodded, saying, “You’re dismissed, but keep an eye on your magi-phones so you don’t miss the beast value list.”

Students began filling out through the rune one after another. Alex stood to leave, then sat back down when he noticed I wasn’t moving.

His presence didn’t stop Jyanna from coming over.

As soon as she got close, I said, “No.” I didn't have the patience for her right now. She would try to bribe me or threaten me to get on her team, I just knew it. If not that, then she was going to harass me about what happened at dinner, and it really was better that she didn’t know.

She was taken aback at first, then her cheeks reddened with irritation. She opened her mouth to speak, then shut it with an angry huff, turning around and stomping away.

Once she was out of view I let out a long breath. I really hoped I wouldn't have to fight her again. I would definitely lose.

After everyone had cleared out, the professor waved us forward.

I nodded to Alex, saying “Thanks for waiting around with me; she might not have left so easily if you weren’t here.”

“Anytime, Dexy,” he said with a smile and a wink. Then, starting to approach the professor, he added, “So what were we waiting for anyway?”

“Actually, uhm…” I felt a little bad not being able to give a direct answer. “It’s kind of a private matter. Sorry.”

His brow furrowed. He stared at me for a few seconds before nodding and saying, “It’s all good, we all have secrets right?”

“Huh?”

“nevermind, see you later Dexy. I’m gonna register you, me, and Amhir as a team so make sure you accept the registration.”

He turned, giving a half-hearted wave as he left.

When it was just Val and I, I walked onto the stage and approached Donovan. He stared at me expectantly, his gaze unrelenting.

My lips pressed tight. The silence seemed to draw out as I struggled to find a starting place. I wasn’t even sure which founder Alice represented.

“Breathe Dexter, you look ready to faint. Is the pressure from the upcoming battle that intense? If it is then just form a team, but not with Vellden…” He looked me directly in the eyes, raising one his eyebrows to emphasize his words as he said, “…You need to get away from him, that family is—just be careful.”

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I nodded, mostly ignoring him. I had enough to worry about, and Alex seemed fine to me. Besides, his sister Myra was definitely harmless. Aside from probably being the richest family in all Syrinthia, I couldn’t think of anything wrong with the Vellden’s and wealth on its own wasn’t an issue.

Taking a deep breath, I finally said, “Magister Rivayne Tisarael has a very strange spell tome.”

“Alice, I know of her; but why are you mentioning this now?”

My mouth hung open, struggling for words for a moment as I considered what to say next. “She—she offered me protection, and shared something with me that I’m not sure how to take. It could have been a warning, or a threat…” My lips tightened. I could tell by his expression he was growing impatient, or maybe it was concern building. Either way, it wasn’t going to be enough to sway me to drop this.

With another deep breath, I said, “She used magic on her own, just like Nyx, and her appearance… well, you know. Do you think that…?”

“I’ve never heard of Founders handing out special spell tomes, and given what I know of them, it wouldn’t make sense for them to do so.” After a brief pause, he added, “But maybe the red dragon has different goals then the rest. In either case, I strongly suggest you keep a distance and don’t forget that both Gaia and I are trusting you.” He paused again, taking a deep breath before continuing, in a stern, more gravelly tone, “If I suspect you’re about to betray us, I won’t hesitate to stop you. Do you understand?”

My hands trembled, and I was sure he could see how tense my body was as his words rang through my head. My mouth fell open, my lips quivering as I nodded, finally finding my words as I said, in a dry voice, “Of course, professor Kaylastal. Thank you for your time, and all your help.”

My mind was filled with fear as I rushed from the classroom. It felt like I was a lone little cloudmite surrounded by predators ready to devour me any moment.

I wanted to believe the professor was just giving me a warning—reminding me of the stakes. But it felt more like a threat. Either way, the feeling in my stomach as I ran toward the dorm was sickening and I couldn’t stop it from churning as I wondered if there was anyone I could really trust.

----------------------------------------

“We’ll be fine Dexter, stop worrying so much,” Val said. “No matter what, I promise you, we’ll be okay.”

I took a deep breath, nodding to her. I hoped she was right. We both knew what would happen if I lost this match. There was too much at stake to accept anything less than success.

My palms were sweaty as I clenched then opened my fists. I bounced my knee with anticipation. It felt like an eternity passed while I waited, but it had only been ten minutes since I entered the waiting lobby.

I kept my eyes fixed on the dark stone floor, ignoring the dozens of students waiting all around me.

“I should’ve accepted Alex’ request. A team would have—”

“Only slowed us down. You made the right choice.”

I nodded. Val was probably right. There were very few magisters I was concerned about. What worried me most was the top two beasts on the list Crusher, and Shebaltor. There were few details about either, but Crusher was valued at over two hundred points. Shebaltor was valued at five hundred. The next highest value beneath Crusher was twenty five points for a frost wolf.

If the value was truly proportional to the threat, I could be sure that Crusher posed an enormous danger. It also made Shebaltor even more concerning. Why were beasts like that even included?

At least there was only one of each.

My heart pounded in my chest, then the familiar flash of light faded to an open field.

An automated voice boomed through the space, saying, “Magisters, the battle has begun. Show The Society what you are worth.”

The air was cool and calm. The only thing I could hear was the beating of my heart and the rush of wind past my ears. I felt more focused and present than ever as I walked forward with Val floating in the air beside me.

At the same moment a gust of wind blasted across the grassland, flapping the tall green blades around like flags.

A vicious roar carried on the breeze as I felt the pounding steps of a stalker behind me. I ducked under its lunge, rolling aside and reaching for Val with a spell already in mind.

“Shadow blade!” I chanted as she eased into my grip.

A black crescent shot from Valentina, growing rapidly in size and splitting everything it touched. Grass stalks fell in halves. Blood stained the field and the stalker's legs landed with a thump adjacent to its body.

Valentina flew from my hands, darting left and colliding onto the breast of another stalker I’d only just noticed. The beasts yowled as its body twisted around her then fell from the height of its jump.

With haste, Val returned to my hand and presented a spell. “Hands of darkness, rise from the earth, seek flesh and return it to dust in your grasp.”

The spell wouldn’t be as strong under full sun, but it would be enough. The earth burst apart as a dozen black hands shot up, groping around then settling on their prey.

Three stalkers hissed and yowled as dark hands took hold of them. Like paper, the hands ripped chunks of fur and flesh, pulling and shredding them as the beasts tried to escape. Dark fingers dug out one stalker’s eyes while another hand gripped then ripped its tongue free. Blood splattered, splashed, and spurted, covering me and the tall grass in a crimson sheen. The sound was awful and the sight wasn't any better. The worst part was that it was necessary.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to think of the points, but I couldn’t focus on anything but the squelching flesh that only seemed louder as other sounds faded.

My stomach turned, then my jaw gave way to a mushy brown mess. Bits of half chewed eagle jerky and dark pink fruit poked out from the pile. It wasn't the best time, but at least it couldn’t happen again now that my stomach was empty.

I gasped for breath as I stood up straight. The wind returned to my ears and the sound of squelching was gone. The dark hands had vanished, but the guts and smashed organs they left behind threatened to force my entire stomach up my throat.

I turned, covering my mouth and nose as I made for the trees. There had to be water or at least fresh air nearby.

As I moved I noticed another magister had appeared in the field. His eyes widened in horror, the tall young man with a blonde ponytail turned away from me.

I didn’t care about eliminating other magisters, especially not now. I only wanted to find a place to wash off the stalker blood.

No matter how many steps I took, I couldn’t get far enough from the bloody scene. I fell to my knees, clutching my gut and struggling to catch my breath as I crawled further still. I didn’t know if I was crying or if it was just blood dripping down my face. I didn't even care anymore.

My vision blurred as my chest and stomach twisted and tightened. There wasn’t any fresh air and no place to wash.

My stomach burned. My chest burned. Everything burned.

“Dexter!” Val called, her voice barely reaching me through the pounding of blood in my ears.

I needed to get further away. I had to find water.

My breath came in short bursts. My arms gave out and I collapsed in the dirt. I tried to take another breath but my lungs were already full refused air.

My eyes squeezed shut, but it wasn't enough to block out the sights still fresh in my mind.

The ground shook with the crash of thunder and a thousand little taps told me it was raining. My breathing started to calm.

“Dexter, are you okay?” Val asked as I propped myself against a tree.

She personified and say beside me.

I looked at her, my eyes heavy and wet, my mouth tasted of salt and iron, and I just couldn’t manage words. So I nodded instead.

As the rain fell, I heard more magisters in the distance.

Get it together, Dexter! You can’t fall apart now.