Chapter 16 TRIALS OF THE GRAND ARENA
The stadium in Drester was probably one of the most prevalent pieces of architecture in the world. It had been easy to spot, standing ten times as tall as most of the buildings surrounding it. It was a perfect ring shape, the building having no roof to protect it from rain or whatever else managed to fall from the sky. The structure was better that way, especially for a tournament of this magnitude. There was no limit to how massive the spells could be. The participants would be able to cast whatever they wanted, without restrictions.
This place, despite its gargantuan size, wasn't all that complex. There was nothing lavish or artistic about it. The majority of the stadium was made up of seating areas for the spectators. The arena itself was just a huge, completely flat section in the middle. There were a few tunnels that led to and from the waiting rooms for the participants, and then a special area for the announcer to sit in, but otherwise there wasn't much. The structure was unique, but at the same time it was unbelievably simple.
However, simplicity did not imply that it was boring. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The excitement and anticipation built with every step the people took as they approached their beloved stadium. Even though it had been standing for years and was used for all events, it was still a masterpiece that never seemed to lose its spark. Something so large had taken years upon years to create, and even after so long, it was still standing strong. The massive stone structure was beautiful beyond compare. There was nothing else as grand in all of Dusthaven.
The crowds were really starting to form within the stone walls of the stadium. Some people were pushing and shoving to get to the best seats while others were able to contain their enthusiasm and wait in line. They were all chattering, filling the entire arena with noise. Everyone seemed to be excited about this event. Most of them, if not all, were non-magic folk, but a lot probably took an interest in things like the Sorcerer's League and spell casting. After all, these were the types of people who loved magic. Even if they couldn't perform it themselves, watching it was always an enjoyment.
Among the masses sat three rather quiet onlookers. Darren, Xyra, and Gareth were simply listening to the idle chitchat of the people surrounding them. Most were making bets on who they thought would win. A lot of them were rather biased, picking contestants based on how old they were and how they looked—whether they were large or small, built or slim. However, it was wise to remember that this wasn't a contest of brute strength or vast, unrivaled wisdom. Whoever could use powerful and controlled spells would be the victor.
"Pathetic," Gareth huffed as he shrunk down a bit on the bench. He was growing tired of listening to the surrounding gossip. "These people know nothin'."
"So, who do you think will win?" Darren asked. He had already gotten Xyra's opinion, but he assumed she had said that simply because she knew Magnus. There was no denying the fact that he was good at his trade, and he had the confidence to back it up, but this was a matter of more than that. This was a test of control, difficulty, endurance, raw skill, and knowledge. He wasn't going to get by on determination alone.
"That's an easy question," Gareth stated, glancing over at both Darren and Xyra. They seemed interested in what he would say, especially Darren. The hunter was obviously looking for a non-biased answer, and that was exactly what he was going to get, whether he believed it or not. "That stupid boy'll win fer sure."
"You both seem so confident," Darren sighed, slouching forward a bit to rest his arms on his knees. "Honestly…why put that much faith in him? He's just another sorcerer. I'll admit he's impressive and a good hunter, but others have done better."
"It'd be wise not ta underestimate 'im," Gareth said in a whisper. His voice was lacking that criticizing tone that usually hung so thick. "He knows more'n you could possibly imagine. With a Lazufeer talisman on the line, we're likely to witness quite a show from 'im."
Everyone in the crowd began to quiet down as the doors to the holding area were opened. In a single-file line walked the sorcerers that would be competing. There were at least a hundred of them. They were all lining up on the arena floor, standing perfectly still as two people began approaching from the far wall, getting on either side of the line. They were both dressed like guards, clad in armor and each harboring a spear. The chances of actually having to use the weapons were slim to none, but it was better to be safe than sorry. There was no telling what could happen.
After everyone was in place, a horn sounded throughout the stadium. The audience instantly began quieting down, waiting for the opening announcements that were sure to follow.
"Attention!" shouted a man from high above and across the stadium. He was doing his best to speak loud and clear so that everyone could hear him. "We will soon begin the tournament! With over a hundred participants this year, I'm sure it will be one to remember! Now let us begin with a small quiz for our contestants! These two guards are going to ask what the twelve elements of sorcery are. Those who answer correctly will proceed to the next round! Begin!"
The two guards began moving along the line of sorcerers, one from each end. So far no one was leaving. That was most likely because it was an easy question. Anyone familiar with magic would know the answer. If a sorcerer didn't even know, then they really weren't fit for this type of tournament.
"Out of curiosity," began Xyra as she looked over to Darren and Gareth. "Just what are the twelve elements?"
Darren just stared at her in shock, as if he couldn't believe that that question had just left her mouth.
"You're kidding, right?" he asked.
"Why would I be?"
"Because you were buying spells from the Sorcerer's League. You can't tell me you don't even know that much."
"I only know some, not all," she stated, puffing out her cheeks a bit in annoyance. Some of the elements couldn't be made into tangible spells by the league. She only knew the ones she could buy, and even though magic was something everyone was required to study about in school, it hadn't been of much interest to her at the time. She had long since forgotten about it.
"Well…" began Darren as he quickly thought it over, making sure that he himself remembered them all. "First, there's the basic five—wind, water, fire, earth, and lightning. Next would be support magic and other forms of attack magic. There's healing, protection, and curse…and then there's special elements like dark, light, steel, and wood."
"Steel and wood?" She couldn't remember ever hearing about those.
"It's magic that allows a sorcerer to create anything from wood and steel. It's a useful skill, especially when fighting an anti-magic being…like a dragon, for example."
"Look," laughed Gareth as he pointed to the arena. "Some of 'em couldn't answer it! And they call themselves sorcerers!"
As the guards kept moving along the line, a few more people began leaving. Out of a hundred, about five were removed from the tournament and sent on their way. The audience, surprisingly yet thankfully, didn't shout out too many insults at the departing sorcerers. It was truly a sad thing when someone who couldn't use any magic knew more about it than a full-fledged sorcerer.
"Alright," began the announcer. "Looks like they're done! Let's move on, shall we? Next we'll go through a little history! Those who can explain at least a small portion of the evolution of magic will continue on to the next round! Begin!"
Once again, the guards began to move down the line. This test would take a little while. A long explanation wasn't needed, but there were undoubtedly some who would give one. There was a lot of information involved when it came to magic history. It extended back almost ten thousand years.
"What exactly are they asking about?" asked Xyra as she looked over to Darren, hoping for an answer. The hunter seemed to think about it for a moment before heaving a sigh.
"I don't know. It's not something I'm all that familiar with. All I know is that it dates back to the time when Lazufeer left. When she returned to heaven, she blessed humanity with the gift of magic, although not all humans are capable of using it. I don't know anything beyond that."
"That's no surprise," said Gareth. "Only a sorcerer would be interested in that stuff. They're asking 'bout what happened after that."
"What happened after that?" he asked curiously. It was always good to learn something new. Almost all knowledge, even history, has had its uses.
"Well, once Lazufeer left, four sorcerers took up the task of teachin' the rest how ta use magic. She'd granted 'em knowledge of every spell within the twelve elements, but eventually the four of 'em were able ta create their own. That wouldn't have been a problem, but this all took place before a uniform language was decided on, so two of 'em spoke different languages, and whatever spells were created after Lazufeer were named by the person who created 'em. Ya see, using magic requires fluency in three languages. Nowadays, no new spells can be created, thankfully. All a sorcerer can do is study the books those four left behind."
"Is that all there is?" It seemed pretty short for a history spanning ten thousand years.
"Nah. The whole story's actually a lot longer, but it ain't that interestin'. Few tend to care 'bout history."
"I guess that includes some of them," Xyra noted as she watched some of the sorcerers being led away. By the end of the test, fifteen more had been dismissed from the tournament.
"Now that the knowledge section has been taken care of," began the announcer, "it's time for a simple endurance test!"
A door on the side of the arena began lifting. The sound of growling could be heard from the opening, but that wasn't anywhere near as intimidating as the many sets of glowing red orbs illuminating the darkness.
"Contestants, let's see how long you can last against a pack of demons! The last fifty standing will continue on to the next round! The second you hit the ground, under any circumstances, will result in a loss! If you end up in a life-threatening situation, do not worry! These demons have already been fed and partially trained! Also, in case something were to go wrong, we have trained hunters monitoring everything from the sidelines! Now…begin!"
At the sound of a whistle, hundreds of dog demons began pouring out from their holding cell. They instantly charged for the sorcerers, who all quickly put up their defenses. Most were using protection spells until they could think of an effective plan to counterattack. Others were simply casting attack spells to either wipe out or stun their attackers. However, there were a few who were simply dodging, relying solely on agility and physical ability. One of them happened to be Magnus.
As he sidestepped a rather lethal swipe from one of the demons, Magnus began thinking of the best way to go about doing this. After all, this was just the beginning of the tournament. It was pointless to exhaust himself physically or mentally before getting to the complicated tasks. This particular round was actually rather easy. He had complete faith in his speed and strength, so dodging was the best course of action. So far nothing could touch him. Hopefully it will stay that way. I just gotta keep moving until about half of these guys go down…but… Upon closer inspection of his competition, he saw that very few were being knocked down… That could take forever!
Magnus suddenly stopped moving, realizing that his plan was going to take too long. By the time enough people were eliminated from the tournament, he would be too tired to move. Dodging, no matter how small his movements were, would eventually exhaust him. Okay, what's the best spell I know but doesn't take a lot to cast? He thought about it a bit as he continued avoiding the teeth and claws that continuously came at him. After a few more moments, he came up with a spell.
He placed his hands together and began chanting, and before another demon could lunge at him, a light mist began spreading. It was a sleep spell, and thankfully it didn't fail. It put to sleep all the demons that had been surrounding him. A smile crept onto his face when he saw his idea succeed flawlessly. Hopefully they'd stay asleep for a while and all the other demons would leave him alone for at least a few moments.
However, he wasn't that lucky.
From nearby, a sorcerer hit the ground, and the demons that had been attacking him decided to go for another human. After all, they weren't stupid enough to try killing the man. There were hunters everywhere. Even they knew that it was better to let these men and women live than be killed by a hunter. If there were ways for them to possibly keep their lives, they would obey. Life wasn't something to be wasted, especially for one measly kill.
Due to such a basic nature, the demons remained in their packs instead of splitting up, deciding that their chance of survival was better if they stayed together. Even though they couldn't kill the sorcerers, the sorcerers could kill them. Also, simply because it was more convenient—they picked the closest person to attack… Magnus.
One of the demons quickly came up behind him, and he barely had time to get out of the way, narrowly avoiding a swipe from its sharp claws. He wasn't aware that another was behind him as well. Instead of striking out like the first had, it charged him, ramming its head into his back. He was knocked forward, heading right for the ground. However, he could easily catch himself and go into a handspring to avoid being disqualified. Unfortunately, as he stumbled forward, he tripped on one of the demons he had knocked out earlier and ended up going into a backwards fall instead. That was it. He had no hope of catching himself.
As he fell, Magnus raced through his limited options. He could always cast a levitation spell, but that would exhaust him a little, not to mention use up some of the magic he would surely need later. Instead, he came up with another option. He arched his back as he fell and extended his arms out behind him. His hands touched the ground first, and he instantly pushed off of it, lifting himself into the air to complete a backflip. His feet landed safely on the ground, and he sighed in relief upon realizing that his plan had indeed worked. There was no way he could have allowed himself to lose for such a stupid reason.
A whistle sounded over the arena, and everyone stopped what they were doing. Even the demons obeyed the command and ceased their attacks, knowing exactly what the whistle meant. Everyone was simply glancing around in silence, wanting to know exactly why a signal had been given. However, just by looking at the arena, it was pretty obvious. Quite a few sorcerers had hit the ground, and apparently there were only fifty left. The event was over.
"That's the end of this trial!" said the announcer. "Those of you who will be moving on to the next round, please wait over there while we get the floor cleared off."
All the remaining sorcerers were directed towards the far end of the stadium as the hired hunters began rounding up the demons and hauling them back to their cage within the arena walls. Others were escorting the disqualified sorcerers off of the field and into the crowd where they could continue to see how this all played out. Some opted to leave, feeling too bitter about their defeat, while others took the offer graciously and watched in interest from the front row. Just because they couldn't win didn't mean that the tournament had suddenly become boring. Things could only get better from here.
"I don't get it," began Xyra. "Why did the demons stop?" That question earned her a sigh from Darren.
"Has anyone ever told you that you ask a lot of questions?"
"Look, it's not my fault. I haven't traveled much. I've never even been to Drester before, so just give me a break and answer the question."
"They stopped because otherwise they would've been killed. As you may have noticed, not a single sorcerer was murdered in this event, and that's because these demons were trained and threatened."
"So? They're bloodthirsty monsters. Why do they care if they're threatened?"
"Because just like every other living being on this planet, they value their lives. Demons aren't simple-minded. Basic, perhaps, but not simple. A lot of hunters may think that, but demons are actually a lot smarter than we give them credit for. They know when to act and when to retreat."
"What will happen to them now that the tournaments are over?"
"They'll be released back into the wild. It'd be inhumane to kill something that hasn't technically done anything wrong. Even hunters have their honor. We don't attack demons that are just minding their own business."
Xyra nodded in understanding, realizing just how much she didn't know about the inner workings of the world. She had only gone traveling once, and it hadn't taught her much. Her young age probably had a lot to do with it, but Magnus and Darren couldn't be all that much older than her, and they sure seemed to know a lot. Perhaps by traveling with Magnus, she'd be able to see their world for what it really was. She had a lot to learn.
"Alright," the announcer began. "It's time to start the next round!"