Chapter 10
The Leader
“Aqua Shooting, a full-team event of scoring, colors and the ability to see our different groups work within their own teams on the fly,” Chapman said, his voice echoing. The crowd in the stadium had quieted enough to listen, and the commentator continued on. “Four spheres of water, and four colors. Each team is in charge of one sphere. Think of it like a goal, one which they must protect at all costs.”
Screens at the top of the coliseum blinked with new images, and Meredith let her attention wander to those, rather than the stoic Rico and his band of Renegades. Four bars were on the screen, each with a symbol next to them indicating which faction was which, and an associated color alongside them. In black and white was also a big “0”, and Meredith had an easy guess as to what that meant. Masters quickly confirmed that thought.
“A goal is the best way of putting it. Each team will have a single objective: shoot their team’s colored balls into the opponents’ goals to score points. The team with the highest points walks away with the victory and an overall three points added to their score for the tournament,” the Flame Commander said, nodding while he did so. “The scoring is, essentially, the same as yesterday, so our teams are aware of what to expect.”
“There are some caveats, of course. What’s a tournament without restrictions, after all?!” Chapman’s suggestion made the crowd go wild, their intrigue in the event getting them pumped up despite the dearth of information. Meredith found herself folding her arms while Eddie joined her, scrutinizing the other teams at her side. Vivian and Emil were far more distracted, but for the moment, Meredith let it slide. “First rule is that while the aim is to send the balls into the water, you’re not allowed to shoot into the same goal twice. Doing so will result in a ball being jettisoned out and instead your team will lose a point. Secondly, all magic is allowed to be used. However, you’re not allowed to strike fellow combatants directly. That wouldn’t be good sportsmanship. You are allowed to defend your goal and deflect their aim, but any violence done to another team will result in that teammate being forced to sit out for a period of ten minutes. Which, given this game will only last for ninety, is quite the hefty punishment.”
“I think that’s all the rules, no?” Masters asked. Chapman gave a hearty “yes”. “Then, if our teams are ready, they will be allowed ten minutes to strategize before the competition will begin.”
With a chime, a ten-minute timer was placed on the screen, already counting down while the three teams opposite them huddled around each other to produce the optimal strategy. Meredith chanced a brief glance at the screen, noting each of their colors: Lacardia in purple, the Home Guard in green, the Corps in blue and the Renegades in red. An easy thing to remember.
“Okay, let’s do this,” Meredith said, turning to her fellow teammates. “Eddie, you’re on goal duty. You have the most versatile magic of all of us, so defense should be no problem.”
“I’m on it.” Eddie offered her a thumbs up and the friends bumped their fists together. “We’ll need to keep an eye on the other teams though. With us not able to score one after the other, they might all gun for us.”
“Mm, true. Conrad and Felix will be the trickiest to look out for. With multiple projectiles, Conrad’s division techniques could have him populate this field in seconds, and Felix has a bird’s eye view. Plus, the three-sixty will make that Carlton a threat…” Meredith’s frown twisted and turned as she considered the best way to counteract all of the threats in the most efficient way possible. “Okay, I can handle ground opponents. Emil, you need to watch the air.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Meredith’s eye twitched. That wasn’t the response she wanted; nor was Vivian’s kneejerk one.
“I’ll take over shooting.”
“That’s not going to work, Viv. Just one person on shooting will lead to-”
“Shut it. I’m not getting upstaged again.” Meredith’s fingers twitched at Vivian’s insistence, wanting to chole the girl out once more, but Eddie shaking his head drew her back. She sighed, instead.
“Let’s just win this. Take positions,” Meredith declared. Whether on her order or because it was something they were planning to do anyway, Emil floated up, matched by a knuckle-cracking Felix, while Vivian walked towards the center of the arena. Meredith hung back. “Do your best, Eddie. I have a feeling this’ll be tougher than it should be.”
“You and me, both, Mera…” His focus was taken elsewhere for a second, causing Meredith to follow it. She was unsurprised at what she saw.
In the sea of writhing faces and fans, few managed to stand out, though Meredith had to wonder if it was her magic at work. From her parents to Eddie’s, all of them watching with enthusiasm equal to that of a sports fan. Matthew was also somewhere in the crowd, though he wasn’t alone, joined by the Baronés, who were no doubt the cause of Emil’s unpleasant attitude. Just like before, however, the most notable one was Victor Lacroix, though it may have been because much of the crowd was giving him a wide berth.
Hands folded while his elbows touched his knees, Vivian’s father watched the battlefield with eyes as tight as slits. Meredith didn’t even need to read his soul to know what he was thinking. She did cringe when his eyes settled on her, daring her to react. More of a challenge, to prove she was more than the “trash” Vivian claimed her to be. It wasn’t long until he resumed watching his daughter, though, and Meredith was more than aware of his intentions. Vivian’s slumped body hinted that she knew just as well. Meredith was prepared to approach, but as Vivian straightened and the timer onscreen beeped, she instead coiled her body into a poised position.
The arena grew still, though the audience that ringed them was as excited as ever. Meredith breathed in, hearing Terrill’s well-wishes and her own heartbeat echo. She took in everything, from those floating above the arena, to Brynn and her Home Guard, looking like a wall. Each of their souls was ready; some wavered with nervousness, but there was no doubt each of them was prepared.
She sucked in another breath.
“Let the Aqua Shooting begin!”
The chime sounded as the timer hit zero, and the arena launched itself into action.
Eddie wasted no movements behind her, placing a hand to the ground and drawing an earthen wall up, ready to block against any of the soon-incoming projectiles. He grinned across to Meredith and she nodded, beginning to run towards the center, where Vivian was. Light blossomed in the arena center, teleportation magic summoning the different colored balls that would be used in the game. They hung in the air a moment, and then fell, beginning to bounce all over the place.
“First point’s ours!” Autumn cheered, and snapped her fingers. As it had the day before, the root erupted from the ground and slapped into their purple-colored balls, sending it towards Eddie and their own team’s very blue water.
“Viv, aim for the blue ones, and score us a point! Eddie!” Vivian wasn’t listening, as expected, but Eddie offered a nod. Meredith’s foot cut into the dirt, concentrating on her best friend’s soul, connecting to it with all she could. Opposite her, Brynn and Edgar were striking at a pair of green orbs, sending them flying towards the relatively unprotected Renegade goal. Meredith didn’t watch the result, her soul and Eddie’s tying together for a moment. Vivian had whipped her bow out, trying to take aim at the wildly bouncing orbs. Meredith ignored her and held a palm out, aiming towards one of the blue balls and the goal that was the Home Guard’s. “Wind Burst!”
The compressed air fired from her hand, striking against the blue ball and sending it flying. It spiraled through the air, losing momentum the closer it got to the aqueous goal. Sparks of lightning were starting to form at its base, like a shield that was going to envelop the entire sphere. To Meredith’s gratitude, the ball hit the water before the shield could be erected, and a red orb joined it at the same time, both suspended inside the water. Chimes dinged across the arena, with a great many cheers, and Meredith looked to Rico, the older man standing there with a melting gaze, his spear snapping to his side.
“Tri-strike. Scattershot.” Vivian’s command pulled Meredith away from Rico and back to where the action was happening. On the scoreboard, each team was recorded with a point, but Vivian looked uninterested. She fired, the arcs of light striking three separate balls and aiming them for Lacardia’s goal.
“Viv, we can’t score twice in a-” Her concern fell on both deaf ears and utter pointlessness. Roots ensnared the balls from beneath, and Autumn could be seen standing on top of one of them, a cheeky grin splitting her face.
“Not today, Vile Vivian. Lacardia’s winning, and you’re losing.”
“As if. If you need your whole team to win, it’s hardly a victory. Dual-fortis.” Vivian’s body glowed red and she shot her piercing light through the root that Autumn rested on. Some more chimes sounded out, and Meredith checked to see that Felix had just managed to chuck a ball inside the Renegades’ goal, even with three of their teammates gathered around it. That distraction didn’t last long, for Vivian’s arrow punctured the surface of the watery sphere, and Meredith acted.
“Let’s give it a push,” she said, stomping her foot to the ground. A plinth of stone sprang from the floor, striking one of the blue orbs and sending it flying through the hole that Vivian had created, granting them an extra point. She spun, stomping her other foot and launching another orb into the air, towards the dodging Emil. “You’re up, Emil, aim it for the Renegades!”
“Yeah, ‘kay.” Meredith’s nose wrinkled at his dismissiveness, but she had no time to deal with it. The other teams were on the move, and the scoreboard denoted that already ten minutes had passed. Not to mention there were three teams tied at the top, with the Renegades below.
Which means they’re letting their guard down on purpose, all for a tactical strike…just like Rico’s first hit on the Home Guard. Meredith jumped back, making sure to try and get all four goals in view, each looking like a gelatin packed with fruits. Where are you…?
“The competition is fierce down there, with each team tied up save for the Renegades, and the strategies they are employing appear nearly flawless,” Chapman’s voice called, interrupting Meredith’s thought process. She breathed, slipping her Soul Vision on. It took her no time at all to spot the one soul that wasn’t visible on the field itself.
“It’s almost indicative of how each of them has trained,” Masters said, as if the audience needed or wanted it. “The Home Guard is playing a defensive game while the Corps is actively pursuing points. Lacardia is displaying close-knit teamwork and the Renegades are putting things close to their chest. This match can still go many ways.”
“Long as we beat the Home Guard,” Meredith muttered, though none had the presence of mind to hear. Nor did she linger, her steps tracking the soul that was Carlton’s, converging underneath their globe of a goal. “Eddie, move aside!”
“Got it! Wind Wall!” Eddie’s hands were tossed down, the wind blowing away an orb tossed by the brutish Edgar and sending it flying. As if out of nowhere, Maria was launched into the air, cackling as she spun and spent that same Home Guard orb flying into its most recent goal, knocking off one of their points. At the same time, Felix knocked away Emil’s angry toss of the blue projectile, where it bounced helplessly on the ground. Vivian and Autumn remained in a war of attrition.
Meredith cared about none of that. She removed her sword from its sheathe and thrusted the Earth-Splitter forward. Carlton emerged from the ground, red orb in hand to toss it upwards. Just before he could, the ground floated around him, forming a protective shield encasing the underside of the water. For a moment, Meredith contemplated using Emil’s soul to get the ball away, but Eddie was on it, his flaming whip slapping it towards the opposite end of the arena, into the Home Guard’s goal. He immediately went back on the defensive as Carlton burrowed back underneath, and Meredith readied herself for the next wave.
“Sorry, Mera, but Lacardia’s taking today as well. How about if I win, you go on a date with me?” Conrad called, his voice coming from multiple sources. His copies had populated the arena, each speaking at once, and some perched on the walls. Meredith grimaced; it was almost impossible to figure out where they’d strike, especially with Felix diving down, supported by a strange wind coming from Summer.
“One bet’s enough for me. I’ll pass, Conrad.” He accepted it with a shrug. Felix pulled up, and Meredith was treated to the sight of Emil crashing to the ground from following him, glowering at the leader of A-Class. “Emil, get up! Me and Eddie have been the ones scoring all the points here.”
“I’ll do what I want.”
“Then make what you want scoring already!” No sooner had her words left her mouth than the balls Felix had carried were kicked by Conrad with perfect precision. One sailed through the Home Guard’s electric shield before another easily pierced the Renegades’ and the last ended with slipping past Eddie’s fire whip. In one fell blow, Lacardia had jumped three points ahead of the rest of them.
What was worse was the mist rolling in, but Meredith had a sharp idea whose doing that was. She kept her Soul Vision active.
“Come on, Brynn. Vision tactics? I thought you were above that kind of stuff.”
“A girl’s gotta win somehow, and I’ll scald the whole field if it means that’s the result. Edgar, you’re up!” Brynn called. Meredith couldn’t see her, but knew exactly where she and Edgar were, the both of them moving in the direction of the Corps’ goal and Lacardia’s.
“Edgar will smash all in his way! Hard Strike!”
“That’s a terrible name for a move, Edgar, but I suppose I can’t blame you. Mist Geyser!” Meredith jumped back, sensing just where the attack would be coming from. Sure enough, the scorching water erupted from where she’d stood, throwing a bevy of balls in all directions. One struck Vivian in the back, judging from the grunt, knocking her into Autumn and ending their war.
“You’ve gotta be…Viv, quit it with that dumb battle. Max up your enchantments and hit every ball you can.” She got no response, and gave no more care; Brynn was moving. “Nope.”
Meredith swung her sword, bringing up another wall of dirt. The ball that Brynn had tossed slammed into the barrier and slid to the ground. Meredith spun and kicked it, causing the ball to travel far away from Brynn. A few seconds passed, and the mist cleared, courtesy of Eddie and a surprising Maria. The field of competition was clear once more, making the state of the game just as clear.
“Lacardia’s leading the competition with a near seven points, while the Home Guard pulls ahead of the Corps by one point at four to three. The Renegades remain at one point,” Chapman clarified for those not looking at the screens. “Will this be a repeat of yesterday?”
“Not if I can help it,” Meredith said. Brynn was a few feet away from her, recovering from the loss of her strategy and trying to find another ball to recover. Meredith had already found her own and kicked it towards Eddie. “Launch it towards, Emi-”
How she wished her words hadn’t died in her throat.
Eddie prepared a spell, ready to launch it towards their teammate in waiting, yet he couldn’t complete the action. At the same exact moment, Emil and Felix launched fists at one another, striking each other across the face and sending a harsh and discordant buzzing across the whole arena.
“And that’s a time-out! Emil and Felix are off the field for ten minutes! Looks like those two couldn’t control their tempers.”
“Amelia’s gonna kill us…” Meredith uttered. She was glad she didn’t utter that she was ready to kill Emil, herself. Both boys descended, affording Meredith a look at the clock. Over half their allotted time had passed, and with their team one member down, catching up to Lacardia and staying ahead of the Home Guard was looking a lot tougher. “Eddie, focus on defense. I’ll get some points in. Viv, get that scattershot going.”
She knew Vivian wasn’t going to listen, and that went doubly so the second that Emil and Felix were seated off to the sides.
The whole thing was a beacon of sorts, a reminder to the Renegades that they needed to take action, and take action they did. Lovelia grabbed hold of Rico, and the two teleported to the center of the field. Rico’s spear flashed out, carrying with it a gust that lifted all of the balls into the air. By their goal, Eddie dropped to a knee, his magic vanishing for a second. The threat became imminent.
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“Crap. Viv, could really use your help now!” Meredith shouted. She stomped, calling forth pillars of stone. Next to her, Brynn also acted, her knives shooting towards the green orbs that represented her team. The red balls were blocked by Meredith’s defense, and for the first time, Vivian obeyed, firing four strikes that sent the red orbs ricocheting around the arena. Meredith took the distraction to run for Eddie. “Eddie, what’s wrong?”
“Just felt my magic drain for a moment, but I’m fine. I’ve got the goal covered. We need to be aggressive until Emil’s back on the field. Vivian definitely is.” She didn’t like the sound of that, whipping around to see that the blonde was aiming for Lovelia.
“Not you, too!” There was no time for deliberation. Meredith’s soul connected with the earth, and with a shove, sent her flying in the direction of Vivian. Before the arc of Vivian’s reckless attack could finish, their blades clashed, slowing both down. “We already have Emil out. You really wanna try and reduce us to a two-man team?”
“You’re dead weight anyway, what does it matter?” Vivian retaliated. Their bickering was all the distraction Lovelia needed, grabbing a red ball and teleporting behind their goal, chucking it in for a point. “I can do this on my own.”
“Grow up, Vivian. This is no time for posturing. We’re supposed to be a team. Act like it.” Meredith’s words were stressed by her hand reaching over and pressing down on the girl’s head. Vivian hadn’t seen it coming, pushed to the floor as a red ball came speeding through with force from Maria, the girl’s ever-present smirk obvious. Meredith swung upwards with her blade, the ball rebounding off its surface and returning to its sender. The projectile collided with Maria’s stomach and sent her sprawling backwards. “That’s one you owe me. Now form up.”
“No, I’ll take care of scoring. You hang back already. I don’t need you.” Meredith’s eyes were twitching beyond belief. Her head whipped around, sending a glare to the still abandoned man in the stands. Victor Lacroix watched pitilessly.
“And it looks like Lacardia’s on the move. With the points already tipped heavily in their favor, and the Guardian Corps falling behind once again, this match may only end in a single result. Time is running out, folks. Nearly thirty-five minutes remain.”
“Which means…” Meredith abandoned the cursing Vivian, dashing back to join with Eddie and take his hand. True to Chapman’s comments, the Lacardian team had formed up, and the temperature in the arena had begun to change, becoming chillier than average. Only the Home Guard sphere, guarded by both Theodore and Gregory, remained in a normal temperature range. “Eddie, you and me. Let’s make a peerless defense, and try to land some goals while we’re at it, until Emil gets back on the field.”
He nodded, sparing no words for what was needed. Their hands provided quick connections, and Meredith’s soul shared with Eddie’s. The arena rumbled, a quake shuddering along its edges. It cracked, and a divot was formed as a great stone wall separated them from their own goal, preventing any further strike from the flawless Lacardia team. Conrad’s copies aimed for the other two goals, while Autumn’s mobile roots provided him the perfect range. It had become a mess of shots that had no guarantee to land, though Meredith sought to do her best.
Removing her hand from Eddie’s she clapped them together, and stone fists emerged from the wall, aiming for the blue balls that remained. Many of them missed, though one was struck, flying towards the Renegades’ goal…and soaring straight through. No point was added, though the buzzer sounded, indicating Emil and Felix’s admittance back on the field.
“Felix, glad to have you back. Think you can drop your macho rivalry with Emil for a second to help us score points?” Summer asked, her eyebrow quirked in such a way that left him very little option.
“Yeah. I just don’t like his face. Think I improved it.” Emil scowled, grabbing at one of the blue balls and sending it jettisoning through Lacardia’s pool. It smacked against the wall and offered no points. Vivian was standing back up, too, glaring at Lacardia’s team. “Let’s net some points. Full-team press!”
“Rooties, let’s travel!” Autumn said, pumping her fists with glee. On her command, the thick branches burst out of the arena floor. Brynn grabbed Edgar, tossing him out of that path, while her fellow teammates warded off the attack, if that was what it could be called. Conrad didn’t see it as such, his multiple copies riding the roots as Felix made quick and precise turns with his wings, depositing the purple balls into his teammates’ hands.
The roots continued to travel, right up to the opposing goals, the roots even breaking through the stone shield on Meredith’s goal. Conrad shot the balls into each goal, not missing a beat. Once more their total sprang up, well into the double digits by this point. Meredith groaned; this wasn’t looking good for any of them.
What was worse, and what took her seconds too long to notice, was that both Vivian and Emil were trying to emulate the Lacardian strategy of striking everything at once. Vivian fired a quadra-strike at their team’s orbs while Emil levitated a few and sent them off.
Their timing was, predictably, horribly off.
“Ooh, that’ll be a blow to the Corps, taking off two points from simultaneous blows. With their points slipping behind even the Renegades now, will they be able to recover?” Chapman said. Some in the crowd began to laugh, but the cheers surpassed them at Lacardia’s clear success. Less than half an hour remained.
“What is wrong with you, Emil? That was my shot!”
“Then pay more attention, Viv. I’m not holding your hand.”
“This is my battlefield, understood? You’re just the supporting role.” Vivian and Emil were growing closer to one another, oblivious to the battlefield before them where points were slung back and forth, or at least the balls were. “I said I’d take offense.”
“Well, that’s a crap plan. Who cares if your dad is watching, I don’t have to listen to you.”
“Yeah, I’m not your parents, so I don’t know why you’d care.”
“Oh, for the love of…will the two of you pull it togeth-” Meredith had no time to finish her remark. Felix flapped upwards, three randomly colored balls in his arms. He spun and released them, all of them flying in their coalescing direction. “Oof!”
The ball struck Meredith’s chest, sending her sprawling to the ground. The other two struck both Vivian and Emil in their faces, causing them to collapse as well. Meredith coughed, her head hitting the floor and her hair coming out of its ponytail. Her chest burned from the blunt impact, but she didn’t feel there was anything broken, unless it was annoyance to the two that had gotten them in that situation. To that, she groaned and turned on her side, watching Eddie beat back any onslaught that came his way, their aqueous goal glittering in the sunlight. Beyond him was the crowd, and the face of Amelia, or just her form. The woman had turned away, hand to her face, embarrassed to watch.
Meredith scanned the ring of the arena, seeing all those she knew, from the disappointed Victor Lacroix, to Matthew, on the edge of his seat. Her parents were there, too, visible by soul and cheering for her with all they were worth.
It didn’t matter. Not if she won. Not if she lost.
But I want to win…I want us to win…Meredith’s hand slapped against the ground, pushing up with a grunt. Images flashed through her head, of the balls striking them, of them missing the goal and coming out the other side. Her eyes widened, and she finished standing, while Vivian and Emil did the same.
“That’s it!” she screamed, and the whole stadium could hear her. The competition around them didn’t stop raging, but the audience quelled, fascinated by her voice rising. Stomping her feet, Meredith whipped in the direction of both her teammates, approaching them with speed so quick, they couldn’t react in time. She grabbed both of their robes’ collars. “What the hell is wrong with you?!
“You both think you can do whatever you want on this battlefield, as if no one else matters. We’re a team, and we need to start acting like it!” Vivian struggled, trying to throw Meredith’s hands off her, but she refused to relent. Her eyes moved up, meeting Victor Lacroix’s. Her fire manifested in a scowl, one he did not match. His expectations were clear…and Meredith wanted to send those intentions to hell. “This is a team battle, not a chance for you to do whatever you want. To be a star. To earn respect. I don’t give a damn right now. I want us to win.”
“Get off.” The protest was weak, and Meredith didn’t give in, dragging them closer to her face, enough that she was breathing on them.
“You are a Guardian. Stop caring about mommy and daddy! The person at your side is the only one you should care about on the battlefield. On a mission. Do you think my brother is wondering what I think of him right now? Of course not. Because he’s a Guardian, and that means focusing on the task at hand, not on your own personal problems!”
“What would you know?” One of them had yelled it, but Meredith wasn’t sure who. She didn’t care who. That was irrelevant. Behind her, Eddie continued to struggle.
“It doesn’t matter what I know, because the only thing that matters right now is this competition. Is this team. Eddie is struggling, and you’re both leaving him and me in the dust. If that’s what you want, fine. If you don’t want to be on this team, walk off right now, because we don’t need you.” Her grip tightened once more. “So, make a decision: will you go it on your own and lose any respect people might have had for you, or will you fight as one?!
“Make up your damn minds right now!”
Neither said anything, their bodies loosening under her hold, slumping under the weight of her words. Vivian reached up, trying to grab her hand, her body shaking. “You can’t just…”
“Vivian…Emil…” Meredith let go, and both had to find everything in their strength just to remain standing. “You’re not alone. So, stop acting like you are.”
It was a moment, Meredith noticed; a moment in which Victor Lacroix’s lips turned down, but a moment enough. Emil looked up first, hesitancy in his eyes, but also understanding resignation.
“What’s the plan, Mera?”
She grinned and reached up to tie her hair once more. “I’m playing defense with Eddie, though I’ll be on the field. Emil, you can get up high where the biggest threat is Felix. Ignore him. You have precise control over gravity so all you need to do is get the balls inside the water without exiting it. That won’t net us a thing. Vivian…Viv, can you cancel enchantments as quickly as you cast them?”
“Wouldn’t be much of an enchanter if I couldn’t,” she said. The blonde still cast a look to her father, but didn’t change her stance.
“Great. As soon as they’re about to make shots, increase their strength, then drop it.”
“Um…what?” Vivian’s brow creased, trying to figure out just what Meredith meant. She must have recalled her words to Emil, because the strategy became clear. “All…all right.”
“We can still win this. I’ll cover your back, and Eddie will cover the goal,” Meredith said. She spun her blade around, holding it tight. “Let’s do this. As a team.”
She didn’t wait for Vivian to comply or give any specific answer. There was a new, implicit trust there. Taking a breath to calm her body, Meredith’s foot touched to the arena floor. It began to rumble yet again, as this time, clots of dirt and earth spread along the entire floor. Those standing upon it found their balance and aim disturbed, though a few had no problem. Carlton’s soul could be seen racing under the earth while Lovelia brought Maria to safety. Brynn and Rico just remained steady as rocks.
“Sorry for the delay, Eddie; we’re back in action, promise.” His only response was a grunt that deflected one of the incoming projectiles from Summer’s short bursts of compressed air. Meredith turned her attention to the field. Emil was dodging Felix above, sending one of their team’s shots into the Renegades’ goal with a sploosh. Their points were climbing. “Now, let’s just keep them from scoring.”
“Edgar will not allow that! Edgar will crush the competition!”
“Edgar, you big oaf, don’t ruin a good thing,” Brynn said. Meredith twisted and began running for Brynn. The girl was surprised, but lowered her guard, as if it was just an advantage if Meredith continued her action. She smirked, however, finding the nearest ball and striking it with her blade. It flew forward, hitting Brynn’s stomach and knocking her into Theodore and Gregory. The melting-lightning shield dropped for a moment. “Nice shot…”
“Viv, let’s roll!”
Vivian’s body glowed, her enchantment magic swirling around her. Lacardia was taking their next shots, as was Carlton, but Vivian was on top of that. Her hands stretched out, and the opponents began to glow just as they fired. The added strength caused the balls to plunge into the water and travel all the way through, leaving the water disturbed but not filled with another point. The blonde managed to crack a smile.
Meredith looked to the scoreboard, watching the flitting Emil as he dodged Felix to land another goal. It wasn’t perfect, but their points were climbing, while the others were beginning to not budge. Time was quickly moving, though, faster than expected.
“Eddie, you’re up! Assist Emil. You can do it!” Meredith’s concise order was obeyed, her best friend throwing a hand behind him as he created a vortex of wind. He flung it forth, scattering all the balls that yet remained around the arena while flinging their own up towards Emil. The dirty-blond locked eyes with Meredith and she nodded. He took a moment to pause, his body’s gravity dropping him towards the ground as he focused on the gift from Eddie. Then he fired them, one after the other.
“This…ladies and gentlemen, this might be un-be-lievable!” Chapman roared, and the crowd roared with him. “The Guardian Corps is climbing back up. Lacardia sits at fifteen, but the Corps is already at ten, matching the Home Guard. Their strategy took a while to kick into gear, but they’ve found it!”
“And we’re not letting anyone stop us!” Meredith shouted to the crowd. They ate it up. Emil’s magic was timed, more balls piercing the surface before one aimed by Felix hit him, sending him off-course. The damage was done, though; their quick movements and Vivian’s defensive support had prevented any other score from climbing, while they had brought theirs back up faster than imagined.
The only snag was Rico, who saw his opening and took it, his spear flashing out as he ran for Vivian. She prepared to drop her enchantments. Meredith prevented that as quick as she could.
“You focus. I’ll handle your protection. That’s what being a team is!” Rico’s spear came down, but Meredith’s sword swung up to meet it. No foul was called. The two weapons locked against each other, each scanning the other for some truth to their designs or plans. An aura rocked through the arena, rippling the water. Rico, however, was inscrutable to Meredith’s eyes, and she wondered if he’d be using whatever his stadium plan was right now, but nothing in his face changed.
So, Meredith sacrificed her footing to reach a ball and kick it at the leader of the Renegades. The movement sent her body in a different direction, and part of Rico’s spear slammed against her shoulder. She winced, but the buzzer that sent him off the field was worth it.
There were already less than ten minutes left.
“This is a nail-biter. Commander Masters, how do you foresee the end of this competition?”
“There’s no telling. Just ten minutes ago, I’d have told you that the Corps was definitely going to end in last place, but they may just climb to first…well, unless Lacardia has anything to say about it.” Meredith wasn’t sure Lacardia needed to say anything about it. Emil was looking tired, his magic having already been expended for much of the day.
They weren’t going to win, but they didn’t need to worry about losing.
“Focus on defense. Let’s keep our points where they are. Lacardia can have this one,” Meredith said to her team. “We’ll get them the next four days.”
Silence met her proclamation, but no one argued. Time slipped lower.
The Home Guard’s shield came back up, but no one else was aiming for their goal. The other three were wide-open, and all teams were converging on that point. Meredith stuck close to Vivian, eyeing the threat that was Brynn, preparing to steam the field up again.
Three minutes.
The mist rolled over the arena, but Eddie and Summer weren’t letting it happen, their wind and change in temperature obliterating the thing obscuring their vision. Felix attempted to fire, but Vivian’s quick enchantments caused the shot to miss. Emil floated a ball fired by Edgar away from their goal, to hit it back to its sender.
Two minutes.
Lovelia and Maria appeared over Lacardia’s goal, and the latter smirked while she chucked a ball in, The Home Guard and Renegades were tied at ten points apiece now. Conrad’s copies appeared all around the field, ready to fire, when Meredith had a different idea, risky as it was. Her soul reached out to the watery spheres, gaining permission to their souls.
One minute was left. The crowd was going wild.
Meredith’s eyes felt sewn shut, but she could feel the water, that calming and raging tide sweeping on to the battlefield. At first it was a trickle, then they were ankle-deep, before the whole arena began to flood. People in the stands took caution and retreated from the front-rows.
The desired effect was achieved, as everyone was knocked off their feet but Vivian, who held to Meredith’s robes, and Felix and Emil, who remained in the air. The former’s concern for his teammates prevented any action, however, and the final countdown began. The crowd cheered out each remaining number.
“Five! Four! Three! Two! One!”
Meredith took a breath, and then the buzzer went off, signaling the end of the match.
“Day Three is done!” Chapman’s voice said. Meredith ceased her soul’s connection and dropped to her knees. “We had an intense competition today, filled with twists and turns I’d have never anticipated, but let’s see how the final rankings were shaking up for today. Commander Masters, if you’ll do the honors.”
“Mm,” grunted the commander, sounding more than pleased. Meredith smiled, her foot slipping on the now draining flood, only to be held up by Eddie. She looked up to see the globes of water fading away, depositing the colored balls to the stadium floor. It provided the perfect sight of Amelia, arms folded but nodding. “In first place for today’s event was Lacardia, with their usual, excellent teamwork scoring at fifteen points. In second place, and to much surprise, is the Guardian Corps. They struggled to start, but pulled together to score a whopping twelve points, much of which was in the last twenty minutes! That leaves the Home Guard and Renegades tied for last at ten points.”
“It’s a conundrum for the overall score, but given the strong effort and the typical rules regarding a tie,” Chapman elaborated, bringing everyone’s attention to the overall scoreboard, “Lacardia gains the full three, the Corps receives two, while our remaining two teams get one point apiece. It’s an interesting shake-up, but one well-received!”
Meredith couldn’t agree more, the new points totals displayed on the screen.
LACARDIA 6
HOME GUARD 5
GUARDIAN CORPS 3
RENEGADES 3
“Not the best result, but hey, we’re tied up. If we rake up some wins tomorrow, we can shoot to first in no time,” Eddie assured Meredith, clapping her shoulder. She grinned to her best friend, but the grin dropped when she noticed Vivian turning away from the field, retreating towards the halls. There was no surprise that Victor Lacroix was also gone, though the anger he seemed to have left in his wake made everyone avoid the spot he’d been. Meredith considered following.
“You won’t shoot to first if the Home Guard has anything to say about,” Brynn said, interrupting that thought process. “But great job today. Deal’s a deal.”
“Deal?” Meredith blinked, and Brynn raised an eyebrow. The memory came back, and Meredith felt she could have slapped herself. “Oh, right. Come with me, gotta ask you somethin’.”
There was no time wasted, and Meredith grabbed hold of the girl, dragging her towards the halls where Vivian had also disappeared. Eddie followed, looking nonplussed, while her actions drew the attention of the other competitors in the arena. Chapman was saying something about resting up for the next day, but neither she nor the crowd at large cared much. The surrounding area grew quieter the deeper she went in. Soon as they’d stopped, Brynn spoke.
“So what’s this about?”
“How much in the way of resources does the Home Guard have to do an investigation?” Meredith asked. Brynn wasn’t sure how to respond to that, tilting her head. “I overheard something, or rather, something was said that could spell complications for the tournament.”
“What kind of complications are we talking?” Brynn asked. She leaned against a wall now, her armor echoing a bit.
“Stuff like one of our fellow competitors interfering with the stadium. I’m not sure exactly, but I know I heard them asking about it, as if they were planning something.”
“That’s a serious accusation, Meredith. Not something I can fully devote resources to.”
“I know that!” Meredith said. Her hand reached up, tussling with her hair and bringing its length back down to cover her eyes. She brushed it back in frustration. “That’s why I’m wondering what you can look into.”
“And what is it you’re looking into, trial girl? Because far as I can tell, you should just ask.” The voice startled both, and Eddie as well, who’d just turned the corner to join them. Brynn’s body grew rigid and defensive while Meredith scowled. She hadn’t expected him, but uttered his name all the same, her suspicions increasing by the second.
“Rico…what are you planning?”