Once the race was over and with him and his mule, the first to take the end of the racecourse. Yet by the rules of the game, his victory wasn't still assured. Facing the crowds, there the contestant awaits their places. And when the announcer of the game had spoken, Akatosh together with the man whom he bitterly smacks were disqualified from the race. Even before they had crossed the finish line.
For Akatosh, he was very much satisfied by outrunning the champion so as stepping on her pride.
Upon hearing his disqualification and no rewards to receive. He quickly turns around and slowly shuns the scene, silent as the passing wind he was.
As for the people whom Akatosh was acquaintance, they immediately left their seats racing to catch him. Not to have a warm reunion but a bittersweet to see his face and a pounce of beating him.
It was already dusk after the race and, he needed to heal his mule. He could see the distressful eyes the mule was emitting.
"You're going to be healed, my champion." Akatosh implores, soothing his mount.
Seeking a secluded corner, the stillmage immediately teleports them to their hideout before his acquaintance catches up to him. And when they arrived, Ashalain and Chifya were yet again too late to see him, seeing no signs of him, only staring at both of them. The two ladies slowly came to understand why another person was chasing him.
Seconds of measuring each other, and before they could simultaneously utter a word, both of their companions came at them.
The first to come were Chifya's group calling at her and reporting that they hadn't seen him at the exit gate.
At a brief moment, Chifya's companion quickly notices Ashalain curiously looking at them but, even they can tell there was something odd between Chifya and the woman standing in front of them.
"We should go." Chifya sighs, seeing Ashalain’s group were stepping from their sight.
"Hey, I know that woman." Baron implores right after Chifya with her friends left the place. "She's the one, the adventurers of the guild are speaking about her, how she was able to purify that place... Um... Ahh... that one, Dragon's Lake. That’s the one," He continues, not knowing Ashalain was listening to him intently.
"Just what's the thing you're so worked up, that you came racing in this place." Garrick implores Ashalain unreservedly as she fixedly where Chifya left.
"It's nothing... I thought that person was my friend." Ashalain replies, walking away as she ponders the woman (Chifya) who at the same time came looking for the man (Akatosh) whom she was investigating.
Somewhere at Akatosh's place, he was running at every corner seeking potions and herbs the stillmage orders.
"Okay, sir... How do we heal this?" Akatosh implores, seeing the injuries from the mule wasn't stop bleeding.
"It seems that it's a bleeding effect from that wolf. And since we're not a druid or a doctor, there is one thing we can do. I will put the mule to sleep and, after that, use that heated rod to seal its wounds. Got that?"
"Solid clear."
Through combining sleep and paralyzing magic, it took Amaragnum to put the mule into a deep slumber so powerful that even pain won't wake the target. With their mount's life saved, they again teleported back at Ravalind.
After the next day, the streets were lively again, flourishing with different races. There Akatosh took this opportunity to view the incoming parade in his room. When Amaragnum teleports them back, Akatosh was told about the parade. And he didn't waste the opportunity to watch. With that, he went and search for an inn facing where the parade would cross. And by the time he arrived, the inn was nearly accommodated and, only one expensive room was open. The second problem is, there was another person, a merchant paying for that only room. But with his extreme wealth, he managed to bid the room with one gold coin triple than what the merchant had offered.
"Mhh... what a glamorous festival, don't you think so, darling?" Akatosh implores at the stillmage, sited on the window.
"Not bad... Not bad at all." Amaragnum reply as he watches the parade consisting of different priests and paladins with their statues of gods, royals in their jeweled clothing, traveling performers doing their things. And when the center of the parade came the king and queen with them were their children, King Reigal IV, and his wife. Freia and her little brother. And from the sides of the monarch are the knight commander, the captains, and four mages and wizards accompanying their chariot.
"When will this end." Freia sighs in embarrassment, as she notices some of her guild members are looking at her.
"Be more fashionable one day a time will come when people will look up to you, not a royal adventurer but a person who guides her people for a better future. So, strain yourself from the crowds' eyes." The queen implores.
"I know mother... it's just that... I just want to -- Ahh, never mind." Freia says, not wanting to start another argument with her mother.
As interested, Akatosh was. He noticed that the flowers scattered by the crowds didn't reach the chariot of the monarch family. Some fell before they could reach the majestic chariot and, some blew in different directions.
While watching, Akatosh brought out an apple as soon as the military section slowly took its turn. Knights in their horses, Chosen soldiers with their decorated armor march in unison.
For a second pass. Akatosh doesn't realize that Ashalain, together with Garrick was there at the parade riding an embellished horse leading dozens of soldiers from their section. And when Ashalain saw few people are in the building, she manages to lock eyes with Akatosh.
As soon as their eyes intertwined with widened eyes, the traveler quickly dashes out from her view.
Ashalain quickly reacts by getting off her horse, but knowing her situation she stops midway.
"Shit! I need to get away from this place," utters Akatosh, hastily stuffing his items, and immediately runs to the first floor.
"Hey, what for… the parade's just getting good." The stillmage said.
"Ignore him our dog is just afraid of that woman." Comes Tosh.
"You mean that paladin woman? Ahh... now I see why. This festival's going to be a good one." Amaragnum replies.
While drilling through the crowds away from the parade, Tosh without hesitation fills in Ashalain and Akatosh’s' story to Amaragnum.
"Oh... That's why." Amaragnum said.
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"Yeah... and I think my little time is up, I'll be seeing you both again," Tosh replies fading back to his realm.
As the parade came to an end, the people disperse scattering through their designated places. As for the traveler he was at around another inn. But as soon when few people came to have a drink, he heard about the gladiators' event.
Asking the taverner, the location where the event would be held, he quickly strolls off the place. Few ins and ups Akatosh were thinking about what he will do. And when he saw the man whom he deeply wants to put his fist right through his face.
"What now?" The stillmage implores, knowing what motives Akatosh had.
Before he would follow the man, he heard people talking about the gladiators' event. Names were betting through their words, waging their champions, staking what times their opponent's champion would fall.
Learning that the man he was seeking turns out to be one of the competitors he went and quickly sign up. Given the rules that when a player would go for a kill, they would be immediately teleported and disqualified from the game same goes for casting death magic or curse spell.
"Do you understand the rules?" The administrator implores Akatosh and gives him a ring that would teleport him nor cancel his spell.
"I understand correctly." In a dry tone, he replies equipping the ring the man gave to him.
With him joining up the competition, Akatosh was now one step away from his other objectives. And one thing that hinders his plan was the schedule of their match and the opponent he faces.
"Since you've done your part with mine, time to do mine," Amaragnum said.
"Your plan?"
The stillmage chuckles and spoke. "Just let me do my part... I need to do it in minutes but, I need your body to cast this magic."
Akatosh smiles and willingly lets the stillmage do his tricks. Before Amaragnum took half of his body, they went to some dark corners. There they merge, and when they do... Priest, the paladins, clerics, and some magic and golden rank adventurer felt a dark, tremendous, and chaotic energy. It was an instant but, when Amaragnum began twisting Akatosh's hand time from that area came to a halt.
"Funny... I mostly cast this when I was in a pinch. Never thought I would use it for some lowly situation." Amaragnum implores walking towards the administrator's desk.
Akatosh smiles and, with just a sway of their palm the writings from the parchment change-making Akatosh and his opponent on the tenth stage.
"What was his name again... Ahh, Gilan—Gulin--Gishin ."
Time resume and, the people who felt their presence were confused. It was odd, the shivering touch of their presence couldn't be traced. Even the people that conspire with the Deedra were in disbelief.
With their doings, the people who felt their dark presence were now timid and alert. But with the festival in motion, they had to keep it a secret, not wanting to cause an outroar panic to the people.
It was his second time dueling Galin but different when he first fought him. This time he had the equipment and his friend from the other side to help him. Being on the third stage of the battle they went to a preparation area.
Using his newly forged armor and equipped with his claw gauntlet together fused by a razor whip and swords made in elven-steel. After he was done furnishing his equipment, the first stage of the battle had already ended between an elven male archer and a halfling mage, in victor won by the elf.
By the second stage, Amaragnum quickly returns to his hideout saying that the show was just for children the stillmage said before disappearing. It was a battle of mages so to speak of, and by comparing how his friend ruptures the land and brought dozens of small meteors Akatosh agrees and ignores his partner's ego.
Even though their powers weren't as equal to the stillmage. Akatosh however, was still very much enthusiastic to watch the two fights. A fight between a female battlemage and a male illusionist. When the fight began, the illusionist quickly cast dozens of clones for him to stage another spell. The battlemage smiles and conjures a yellowish medium shield and turning her sword into yellow flames.
Smacking her shield through the ground, the dozens of clones disperse but show no signs of the illusionist. And at that moment, four summoning circles appear in front of her. A four floating sword was now facing her.
Alive and like a professional holding the floating swords they charge through the battlemage. Shielding the first attack, she was shocked that the floating sword went through her shield, an illusion. But when the second sword gave its attack, it injures her shoulder.
"Ahh... some are illusions, and some are not... A clever trick." Akatosh said
Backing off for a bit, the battlemage extinguished her flaming sword. And with a full brunt of her swing, one of the floating swords was glued from her sword and breaking it apart.
After dealing with the floating sword, two copies of the illusionist appear simultaneously casting what appears to be a paralyzing spell. Throwing her sword at one of the clones, she then charges to the other one. But when she reached the two, she realizes they were an illusion and the real one was finished casting a fireball spell. The battleground ruptures and the battlemage were left panting, her magic shield was now erased and her energy was depleting. With the illusionist was on the verge of victory, he then appears and waited if his opponent could concede defeat. Making more clones and readying spells, he together with his clones went closer to point a blade at his opponent showing he'd won. But when he was just three steps from her, he notices that it was an illusion. Then with a surprise, an invisible force somehow manages to grab the real one. There she appears, injured and inching her dagger towards the illusionist's throat.
"I-I yield." The illusionist implores.
Bested by his overconfidence and an ironic paradox, a trick to use an illusion to an illusionist.
As the stage goes on, Akatosh's heart was rumbling, his blood was in adrenaline since the ninth competitor was nearly finished. And when the stage was set, Ashalain who was sited below the monarchs' place was yet again in shock. Chifya who was with the crowds never predicted Akatosh would be partaking in the competition… again.
"If you surrender right now, I promise I won't make this hard for you." Galin smiles.
"Judging by your words... Let me guess, did your balls shiver?" Akatosh replies, with a twitching eye.
The crowds chuckle and quickly Galin retort with a dry tone. "It seems I'll have to teach you some manners."
"Please kid."
Thus, as the signal was blown, Galin swiftly dashes, spearing his sword towards Akatosh. And when he was about one yard from him, Galin turns his body into a mist.
"At your back," Amaragnum said.
"I know," Akatosh says, backlashing his sword, not the katana but, rather his second sword, a kriegsmesser. And when his elven-steal sword turns backward, Galin immediately uses his weapon to block the incoming attack however, Akatosh's sword easily rips Galin's weapon in half.
"Mhh... You got a pretty nice sword." Galin says after backing out from Akatosh's slash. "But don't get ahead of yourself... Tara, Vena" He continues when a mist slowly surrounds Galin, what's more, a magical and flamboyant estoc magically replaces his broken sword.
"The smell of the mist, now I get." Ponds Akatosh.
"No, you stupid dog, let me make it clearer." The stillmage said changing the color of Akatosh's eyes into purple.
When his eyes were changed, he looks at his opponent to see two elven women floating in misty form.
"Ahh... it seems he got two little kittens at his disposal... But what about my ravenous dog here," Akatosh said.
He felt Amaragnum smile at him waiting to do another shenanigan.
Charging once again, Akatosh hurls his swords only to slip past through his body.
"It's over," Galish said but just as he was about two meters from him. A wind suddenly blasts through the ring.
The razor whip was summoned so was Amaragnum smiling with his vessel. Galin was paralyzed and the two elven women were now tremulous.
"Ehem..." Amaragnum clears his throat. "Sorry ladies but, I need a little snack." He continues.
The mist that engulfs Galin suddenly disappears, and when it does the razor whip slices his right hand. Little did Galin know, the battleground was covered in smoke unable for the crowds to know what was happening.
And at that moment Akatosh suddenly lashes in, throwing a brutal punch at Galin's face. It didn't end there but he continues to throw punches at every part of Galin's body, they were now like a boxer and a punching bag.
"I-I yield! I yield!" Galin begs on the ground praying for mercy.
After hearing him begging Akatosh stops his attack, but when he was about to call Amaragnum, Galin quickly gets up and magically creates a dagger. Sluggish from the beating, he manages to grab Galin's other hand, and when he did, he throws him to the ground and begins to pummel his face, hydraulicly.
"My time is up dog," Amaragnum said dispelling the smoke revealing Akatosh savagely mauling his opponent.
Disappearing in just two seconds the smoke was, a person suddenly burst through the fight cutting Akatosh from killing his opponent. While he manages to avoid the person, Akatosh realizes it was a woman dressed in royal clothing. It was Freia who interfered in the fight.
At a distance of three-meter, Freia quickly cast a healing spell at Galin. "Just what kind of man are you?!" Freia angrily said after seeing how Akatosh brutally mauled his opponent. Akatosh however didn't respond but turned around, going towards the exit.
"I Freia, the first daughter of king Reigal IV and as one of the members of the adventurer’s guild. I hereby challenge you to a duel."
"Stop this at once!" Freia's mother shouts but suddenly the king agrees.
"Fine then... I'll accept your duel." Akatosh smile.