----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
CYRUS
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
“Stop, you idiot!” Shiv stared gruffly at Cy. “Didn’t you just listen? Nymphs are too smart, and you’re too slow. They’ll know something is up if you keep playing whack-a-mole.”
“Then what do you suggest we do?” Selene asked. Everyone looked to Cy. Are they waiting on a plan from me?
“OK… So we just need to corral them up into one spot. Then zap ‘em.”
“Won’t that draw the Nymph’s attention?” The color of your hair might.
“Yes. But we can handle the Nymph together, before the Hydros step in. Does anyone know any combat or attack Runes?” Jules and Envy glanced at each other.
“I know some Fire Scripts,” Selene said. A woman after my own heart. You have what I lack.
“Nah." Shiv shrugged. "I just smash things.”
“I know the Water and Air Runes,” Pinky said. That’s a surprise. Maybe you’re the Alter.
“OK, Ju—” Cy coughed. “Ack, excuse me. Franz, Kat, Shiv, and I will be the distractions. Pinky and Selene will be our attackers. Let’s dig trenches around the perimeter. We’ll start wide and then move inwards."
Everyone moved but Kat. “Crabs can crawl through sand, you idiot.”
“Yes, but crabs also like shiny things. Give me your extra shovels.”
Cy tossed their extra shovels into a star formation in the center of the herd. He got nicked in the ankle a few times by stray crabs. Ow, you little shits! His tattoos and eyes lit up.
> « Light » [₹9,900 // ₹10,000]
The shovel heads sparkled and grabbed the crabs’ attention. “Dig!” Soon, a trench was constructed with walls built up on the outside. They gathered hundreds of crabs in one circle, a dozen yards wide. “Light ‘em up!”
> « Fire »
>
>
>
> « Ice »
Pinky and Selene invoked their Scripts. Pinky crafted dozens of ice shards above the nest, and Selene crafted a defensive ring of fire around the edge of the walls. The shards rained down on the crabs, killing some and harming most.
“Now Pinky, push that fire inward, and be prepared for the big one.”
> « Air »
Within seconds, the entire cast was incinerated. A giant crab, half the size of the circle that entrapped it, rumbled out of the sand and shrieked.
“You fools!” Also-Not-Del shouted. All three recruiters sprinted toward the Crabacus.
> « Light » [₹9,500 // ₹10,000]
Cy blinded the beast, and it hesitated for just enough time. Envy invoked her hidden Seal and levitated all the shovels at the crab, blades facing it.
"Pinky, my boy, now!" Cy shouted.
Pinky invoked his Air Rune again and shot all the shovels at the beast, all at once. With a sharp gasp, seven large makeshift arrows pierced it. The Crabacus keeled over and died. The recruiters made it to the group and stood in awe.
“Wow." Del clapped for them. "I suppose congratulations are in order. You’ll be Hydromages yet.” He seems less stressed than the other two, and definitely more intrigued. Dammit man, which one are you?
“Recover your Ryoku,” Del said. “We will go over the next task: testing your Water Script abilities. This is what we need to see…”
After a short explanation and break, the contestants returned to work. Cy made a thin wall of water, then grew it longer, then thicker. Then Kat froze it all the way through. Next, they switched places. Shiv and Pinky worked on the same task together, as did Jules and Selene. Cy had a hard time hiding his jealousy. Same goes for Kat, it seems.
They split into other groups next to test their sailing aptitudes. Everyone fared well, except Jules and Pinky. They surfed on the shore waves, and Pinky even pushed them up into the air with an Air Rune, but then they beached the boat on top of some stray crab carcasses. The boys sheepishly grinned at each other.
Last, they were asked to perform some unique but practical application of water magic. Pinky was exempt from having displayed an ice attack against the crabs. Selene created an elegant ice dagger from the atmospheric moisture and told Pinky she was inspired by his method earlier. Dammit, he stole my move.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
> « Ice » [₹8,800 // ₹10,000]
Cy created a semi-arc of ice daggers around his head and an ice spear, better than he’d ever crafted before. Check that out, Jules, though he looked at Selene.
> [Pang! Elemental Control increased to Level 12.]
Envy tossed a piece of raw iron into the ocean and made it float. Jules used some saltwater to create a smokescreen-like mist in the air.
Shiv pulled water out of the air into his cup and then drank it. "Blegh. Tastes like shite beer."
“Good,” Del said. “We can see that you can at least handle water magic. You're gonna need it for this next test. We captured some Drowners off the coast, and now we’re going to test you one-on-one—”
“Don’t worry,” Not-Del said, “we will step in if you need us. Take some of these weapons for support.” Del rolled his eyes.
Finally, I get a chance to really test my abilities and show The Painter what I’ve got. I’m surprised at how much I’m learning here, to be honest. Even Pinky has a better way of stringing Runes together than I do. Cy stepped forward. “I’ll go first.”
“Very well.” Del smiled at Cy. “Always eager to prove yourself, huh?” Bingo. That’s gotta be him.
Cy grabbed a curved sword from the barrel of options. The Hydromages opened up one of those chests that'd rumbled around all morning. A monster leapt up from its confined imprisonment and charged at Cy. It stretched out its claws to strike his face and—
SCREEEECH!
It collapsed on the sand—a chain around its neck had yanked the Drowner down. Barely humanoid, the thing had pale blue flesh. It stood on two legs, but fins ran down its back and forearms. Claws extended out from webbed feet and hands.
“Ready?" Yeah.
"Set!" Oh shit.
"Go!" Del severed the chains with one stroke of his battle ax.
The Drowner bared its teeth, all three rows of thin, pointed fangs. It sprinted to Cy and tackled him. Cy crumpled to the ground immediately. Embarrassed, he kicked the beast off of him and rolled up to his feet.
> [Pang! Hand-to-Hand increased to Level 4.]
Will its webs make it slower or faster in the sand? It scratched the air wildly with its sharp nails. Cy bid his time and waited for an opening. He studied its moves and patterns as he danced around it. Mm, that’s it—
The Drowner slashed at Cy’s head again, and he lunged a leg forward to dodge and then tripped his opponent. The Drowner fell into the sand. It hesitated, but scrambled to rise up and attack again—
WHOOSH!
Its severed head landed at Del's feet, who beamed at Cy. “Excellent job. Next!” Cy sheathed his curved sword.
> [Pang! Hand-to-Hand increased to Level 5.]
>
> [Pang! Blades increased to Level 4.]
>
> [Pang! Blades increased to Level 5.]
Jules stepped forward. He struggled less with combat than Cy did and killed his Drowner much more quickly. And without a weapon. Damn, Jules' Hand-to-Hand is no joke. Just tackled him to the ground and snapped his neck. Lucky he didn't get cut by those claws. Cy remembered Jules' chokeholds from last night and rubbed his own throat.
“Good work, Franz,” Cy mocked.
“Thanks, I learned how to fight it after watching you.”
Envy went third and walked into the imagined arena with two daggers sheathed on a belt. We haven’t seen her fight yet. “This should be interesting,” Cy whispered to Jules.
To their surprise, she took a wrestling approach out of the gate. She gripped the monster’s putrid flesh and judo-threw it over her shoulder and onto the ground. Then she wrangled it into a choke hold.
“Watch out!” Jules shouted.
The Drowner ripped one of her daggers from its sheath. Envy adjusted her position just in time, so the slash only left a shallow slice on her flesh. Still, she winced. She rolled over and sat on top of it. Envy pinned both its arms down with her shins and full weight, so they were useless. Then she cleaved its throat. “You don’t need to protect me," Envy snapped at Jules. She massaged the cut on her cheek. "I saw it.”
No steam? Is her Regeneration slower than Jules'?
Selene walked out next, and like Jules before her, she carried no weapon. Her Drowner attacked her, but she nimbly dodged each slash with grace. The fight continued for a short clip, and the beast slowed considerably. Man, she got an easy one. It's already tired. The Drowner continued, though neither combatant connected a single blow. The Drowner panted, then heaved heavily, until it collapsed, dead. Steam rose from its body, and Selene returned to the group.
“I figured you’d use that new ice dagger of yours,” Cy said. “How’d you do that?”
“I cooked him from the inside.” Her grim smile made his heart skip a beat. “I thought you’d appreciate the strategy.”
“Is it hot in here, or is it just me?” Jules ribbed Envy. They shared stifled laughs.
Pinky had the ever-living crap beat out of him, but he somehow survived. Definitely not a combatant. I doubt that The Painter would let himself get injured like that.
Pinky tried to compare his injury to Envy's, but hers had already healed. Hmm. The way Selene's watching Kat makes me nervous.
Shiv’s turn passed even quicker than Jules'. He actually charged the beast instead of the other way around. He grabbed its throat with one hand and its arm with the other. He ripped the arm clean off and then—with both hands—choked the Drowner until its head popped off.
“Uh…alright then,” Not-Del said.
“How exciting,” Del said. “We clearly have a top-notch recruiting class." Isolda claimed The Painter was a recruiter. All signs point to you. "I can’t tell you how long it’s been. But first, we have your final test. All of you get to fight against a Lesser Kraken.”
“Hey, no! I didn’t agree to that,” Also-Not-Del said.
“I think we can agree this class is well-prepared, yes?” Del insisted.
Finally, someone sees our ability. My ability. And I’m glad it’s you, Alter.
“You two ready?” Cy asked his friends. Both nodded with grins. “Well, well, well! Looks like you two are having fun, after all.”
“Release the (Lesser) Kraken!” Del’s voice boomed across the water. A horn blew from somewhere out at sea. The six contestants turned towards the waves, ready for combat. Nothing happened at first, but then the ridge of a fin formed on the water, fast approaching them. It grew taller and faster, and eventually created its own wake that cut through the currents. "She's a 2nd Rank Kraken," Del warned. "Don't take her lightly!"
Definitely not going to be as easy as a 2nd Rank wolf, are you?
“Alright, Chief. What’s the plan?” Shiv asked. I could get used to this.
“Uh—Survive. For now.” Shiv cackled in response.
The fin rose high out of the water and exposed the Kraken’s head. Tentacles won’t be far behind. “Should be one tentacle for each of us. Just keep your eyes on those, and then watch out for its beak.” Three tentacles slapped down at Envy, Jules, and Shiv, and each evaded the blows. “Selene, throw fire at—”
WHAM!
A tentacle struck Cy and flung him several yards through the air.
******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** *******
36
IMAGE LINKS BELOW
******* ****** ***** **** *** ** * ** *** **** ***** ****** *******