Chapter 17 THE EXSTIRPO UNLEASHED
As the tournament went on into the night, more and more sorcerers were forced to leave. From their original one hundred, only about five were left. Among those five was Magnus. He had managed to make it through every test they had thrown at him, even the ones that involved physical endurance instead of magic reliance. He had excelled in just about everything. For being one of the youngest sorcerers in the competition, he was in no way at a disadvantage. In fact, he was the only contestant below the age of thirty who was still left.
"Next off is a real challenge! After knowledge, endurance, strength, and control testing, we're going to see just what you sorcerers are capable of! It's time to show your real skill! Give us the biggest, most dazzling spell you can think of! Don't hold back!"
The first contestant came out and began to perform a spell. It was a rather simple spell to be honest, but it was in every way a stunning one, full of lightning sparks that popped and sizzled in the air above him. The crowd was making a few fascinating sounds, watching with starry eyes, but Gareth and Darren seemed less than impressed. The same couldn't be said about Xyra though. She was one of the many who had found everything astonishing so far. However, considering how the tournament had gone thus far, both of her companions were starting to feel a bit biased.
"Simple," Gareth stated as he watched the sorcerer finish his spell and exit from the arena. "Any third-rate could cast it."
"What spell do you think Magnus will use?" Darren asked. It was a question that had been bothering him for a while now. He had known there would be an event like this, since this wasn't his first time viewing a sorcery tournament, but he was having a hard time figuring out what kind of spell Magnus would go with. The young sorcerer seemed to know quite a few, but all of them had been pretty basic so far. Obviously, he had been conserving energy throughout the entire competition, but for what exactly? He couldn't have known there would be an event such as this one. Perhaps he was just the conservative type.
"It'll be somethin' big," Gareth stated. "I know the boy well. He'll do whatever it takes to win while showin' off at the same time. Hmm…a spell like that… He might go with an Incineration…but knowin' him, it'll probably be some kinda lightnin' spell, or maybe…"
Gareth smirked deviously at the thought he had just had. He knew exactly what spell Magnus would try.
"Maybe a what?" Darren persisted, really wanting to know what Gareth looked so smug about.
"He's gonna cast the Exstirpo."
"The what?"
"Just watch. You'll see soon."
They watched as the second-to-last sorcerer finished his spell—a rather bright and glittery one. It had indeed been impressive. Some of these men truly were accomplished sorcerers. They really deserved some credit for making it this far and still putting up a decent fight. These five were the best of the best, the top five sorcerers on the continent.
There was just one contestant left now to complete the task assigned, and Magnus was readier now than ever. Going last had been exactly what he had hoped for. He had plenty of time to think over his long list of spells while observing the ones cast by his competition. He knew just what one to use. He only hoped he wouldn't mess up. One wrong move and he could end up dead. Still, it was a risk he was willing to take if it meant clinching the tournament.
When he reached the center of the arena, Magnus got down on one knee and placed his palms firmly against the ground. His lips began to move in a silent chant as he gathered the energy he was going to need. This spell wasn't easy, but he had the confidence and the skill to pull it off; he was sure of it. No one was ever going to best him when there was a Lazufeer talisman on the line.
When he was done chanting, he shoved his hands against the ground harder and then remained perfectly still. Nothing happened at first, but not long after, the howl of winds could be heard. A strong updraft soon enveloped the arena floor, and the observers could feel a small portion of it, rustling their clothes and tossing their hair. They all watched with interest as the wind began to take on a soft light, drawing in energy. From the ground came countless sparks of electricity, and those sparks slowly grew into currents. They were swirling around Magnus, never actually touching him. Despite how dangerous this spell obviously was, he seemed perfectly comfortable.
A smirk crossed Magnus's face as he decided to finish casting the spell. His audience had probably had enough of the updraft he had created. The wind didn't have all that much to do with his spell anyway. It was simply the byproduct, resulting from what he was about to do. The first part was easy. Now comes the challenge. I've got to stay focused.
He removed his hands from the ground and stood up. The wind suddenly stopped, leaving only the light particles, which appeared to be frozen in time. Everything had gone completely silent, as if the dead wind had taken all motion along with it, leaving only Magnus free to make his move.
He lowered his head a bit, his smirk still fully intact.
"…Exstirpo."
At that one moment, the increment of time it had taken to say that one word—a ring of electricity shot up. The audience could only gasp in shock as the lightning formed a pillar of pure light. There didn't seem to be an end to it as it extended into the sky. Such a thing was magnificent and captivating to watch.
After it shot up completely, it abruptly came down, and another went up that was a little wider. This continued for a bit until about six rings had risen from the ground and had sunk right back under, giving the dirty, somewhat sandy arena floor a light blue shimmer. There was just one part of the spell left.
After the sixth and final ring fell completely, the ground exploded in a torrent of white and blue light. However, not a grain of dirt had been removed or destroyed. There was nothing truly physical involved in the spell. Instead, the explosion was of pure electricity, the light filling the entire stadium in one single, full pillar. Nothing was visible past or within it. They were no longer able to see Magnus.
Xyra and Darren looked on in complete shock, their faces pale. They were in awe at what they saw. What had just happened to their friend? Had Magnus underestimated his own spell? Had he just gotten himself hurt, or worse…killed? That was impossible though. He hadn't come this far just to do himself in at the last moment. They were praying that there was some kind of catch to all this, but it didn't seem like anything could survive a spell as devastating as that.
To their surprise, Gareth began laughing.
"Don't look so down," he told the two of them. "He won't die that easily. Just watch."
The light began fading, and everyone leaned in, getting to the edge of their seats, anxious to see what had happened. They hadn't really been expecting to see the sorcerer still alive, so the whole audience gasped in shock and relief when the light finally disappeared. Magnus was still standing there in the same position he had been in, that same confident smirk gracing his face. The lightning hadn't hurt him at all.
There was a moment of utter silence before the crowd broke into a huge cheer. They were clapping, shouting, whistling…and Magnus was just taking it all in. He gave the crowd a bow and a small wave before he began retreating to the observation area.
"Impressive!" shouted the announcer, but not many could hear him due to their own applause and cheering. "That was the Exstirpo, a powerful lightning and wind spell! A very unique choice indeed! And now that the final task is over, let's bring out our remaining participants!"
The stadium doors opened again, and all the remaining sorcerers were told to return to the arena. Magnus seemed a bit annoyed at this, seeing how he had to walk back after just getting to the holding chamber. However, he simply followed after his fellow sorcerers, putting on a smile. After all, the crowd had started cheering again.
The five enduring contestants all lined up in alphabetical order, following the instructions of the two guards that had returned to the field. Now that everything was in order, all they could do was wait for the results. They were all hoping that they had impressed the masses, that they had truly given a hundred percent in all the tests and challenges that had been thrown at them. Each one wanted to win, but only one could walk away with the Lazufeer talisman.
"It's time to decide who our winner is!" stated the announcer. Everyone instantly fell silent, watching in great anticipation. It was a bit hard to tell who was going to win. They had all been highly impressive in one way or another.
Magnus stood silently in line, but despite his overwhelming confidence, he was fidgeting just a bit. Something seemed wrong, and he couldn't figure out what. It was really starting to bother him, causing him to heighten his senses involuntarily. There was just a feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him to be careful.
Why am I so anxious? He couldn't help wondering that as he looked around at the other sorcerers. None of them looked on edge. They were all just waiting patiently for the winner to be announced. However, just because they couldn't feel anything didn't mean he was going to simply disregard the sensation. Instinct was a powerful force. It had saved his life on more than one occasion, and he wasn't about to start doubting it now.
Magnus suddenly felt a small pulse come from the pendant he had around his neck, the one he had picked up from Gareth the other day. He glanced down at it, the once gray and faded stone now glowing a bright red. His eyes widened in disbelief, his face going pale. You've gotta be kidding!
He quickly glanced up into the dark sky. The moon and the glow of the torches in the arena were all that illuminated the area. However, even if it had been pitch black, he still would have been able to make out the shape he saw. Such a thing wasn't sighted that often anymore, but it was just his luck that he'd stumble upon such a massive creature. Nothing could ever be easy for him.
This isn't good. There are way too many people here! I gotta think of something! He began to panic a bit, but that couldn't be helped. After all, the thing floating right above them, its golden eyes blazing in the darkness, was a dragon.