Page 18

T he day before the competition arrived much faster than she had anticipated.

Her stomach felt queasy with anxiety. Sir Tornbury would be going over the rules of the competition today in class.

She had asked the prince more about the competition when he was a first year, but he had told her that the tournament changes year to year.

Last year, the students had to complete a maze and the year before there was some sort of obstacle course.

Demetrius’ year had one on one fights. This was no mere in-house competition, but a school wide spectacle.

Classes were suspended and bets were being covertly placed on each of the students.

With Bear gone, Verrona was allowed to join a group of one of the singles.

She joined Juniper being led by Marciel.

They eagerly waited in the Incantations classroom for Sir Tornbury to join.

“Tomorrow the tournament starts. Your regular classes will be suspended and you will be meeting myself and Mistress Rhodes out in the courtyard. We have given a lot of thought as to the nature of this competition and we have decided to go with an all out battle. You start as equals and enter the arena together. None of you will receive any advantages and there will be no weapons or potions or wearing special armour allowed. This is a test of your elemental incantation abilities and you will rely on those to survive. Competitors will not be allowed to form alliances. You are on your own. You will surrender by either yielding or becoming unconscious. If your opponent yields, you must suspend your attack. Any strikes that are delivered after the person has yielded will cause automatic disqualification. If you are found to have taken any enhancements, you will also be disqualified. Any questions?” Sir Tornbury looked around the room.

“Will we be fighting out in the courtyard?” Storm asked.

Sir Tornbury replied, “The location of the tournament will be revealed tomorrow.” So that’s a 'no,' thought Lilith. She had not seen any preparations being made, and there were no stands or areas that looked like they would house this tournament. Maybe they change the location of the competition yearly so students can’t plan or plant any weapons or set up special advantages. Sir Tornbury dismissed the class.

“So it looks like we are enemies,” Taran teased as he entered the library with Demetrius and Lilith trailing behind. She stopped to massage her aching muscles as she leaned against an old desk.

“That would make sense though. If we formed an alliance with other groups or even with each other and then hunted down the rest, it would be unfair,” Lilith said.

“I’m assuming we are not sparring today, seeing as it would give us a disadvantage if we were to get injured?

” she asked the prince. He took his usual spot in his armchair and watched her stretch.

“I thought we could practice trying a new skill,” he told them. “Both of you have the capacity to form basic shields from your abilities. I want to see if you can form weapons.” He looked to his cousin. “Sir Tornbury restricted the use of outside weapons, he never said we couldn’t make our own.”

Taran had three elemental powers: fire, water, and air.

Having three to call upon was quite rare, as most people relied on two or less.

Lilith was an anomaly; she could draw upon all.

She learned the abilities of some of her classmates by spying on them.

Felicia, Amir and Cosmo displayed elements of fire and water.

Juniper and Nym both could manipulate the earth.

Verrona was able to manipulate water. Meridith and Meira used both air and fire.

The rest she was unable to locate for the past week.

They had trained in secret and kept their abilities secret.

With a name like Storm, she assumed he would be able to wield some sort of lightning, maybe air or water or both. Orin and Ruven remained mysteries.

“Taran, do you know what elements Silver controls?” She hated going in blind. Her anxiety was reaching a new high.

“I do, but I’m not sharing. He had asked about yours and I remained silent. Mind you, you have more of an advantage than most, given that you can call up pretty much any element.”

“Are we going to stand around talking, or are you two going to try and make weapons?” The prince was impatient.

He felt the pressures of trying to succeed.

As the first born prince of this kingdom, he would one day rule.

King Amadeus had yet to formally announce his heir, so Demetrius had more to prove.

Taran tried first, forming a long oblong water shape and then hardening it into ice.

“I mean it will do in a pinch. You can shank someone with an icicle.” Lilith laughed .

Taran rolled his eyes and gave her a light shove.

“Go on then, let's see what you can come up with.” Lilith was careful. She had tried to create weapons before when play fighting with her brothers. She knew she could do it, but now that Taran was an opponent, she didn’t want to show her cards.

She used her weakest element and cast a similar looking oblong water shape.

As the water hardened to ice, she elongated the shape to form a nice double edged blade. “My hands might get cold.”

“Show off,” Taran went to hit her short ice sword with his icicle. They both splintered and broke upon impact. “Well at least we know their durability,” he said sarcastically.

The prince reached out his hand. He transformed a long spear of water into an ornately shaped long sword and tossed it to Taran, then made a second one for himself. He swung at Taran, who quickly blocked and their swords did not break.

“The key is thickness,” the prince said, surveying his sword.

“No truer words have been said,” Taran retorted and Lilith laughed. Demetrius went to strike Taran.

“Lilith, you have the ability to create a sword from a number of elements; you could even combine them,” the prince offered his advice.

“I have experimented making weapons with my brothers,” she told them.

“I’d like to keep some mystery from Taran, now that he’s a rival.

I may be able to draw on multiple elements, but my mana drains faster and my control over them is okay at best.” This was a bit of a lie.

She tried to underplay how much she knew.

“Well then. You’re free to go. Good luck and just remember you’re representing me. Try not to be the first one to surrender.” Demetrius stayed behind with his cousin .

“You fill us with such confidence,” Taran said as he began to spar with the prince.

Lilith went off through the courtyard and up to the running route.

She climbed the switchbacks and made it to the clearing.

Usually this is where the fire sprites were waiting and she hoped she could use them as practice targets.

She closed her eyes, listening for any sign of movement and also drawing from her well of mana.

Over the last month as she trained, she found that pool of energy not as shallow as when she first came to Skilheim.

The running theory she believed was that as she learned control, some more of her mana would become available to her.

For the last month, she tried everything to unleash her powers as she had done on Bear, only to fail each time.

Calling upon her fire element, she formed a long spear.

She heard a faint rustle behind her and pounced.

The fiery spear missed the little fire sprite by an inch.

It let out a nightmarish laugh and attacked.

Lilith rolled out of the way as it bombarded her with balls of fire.

She reached down into the earth and felt for the life that grew underneath her.

She sent long shards of roots breaking free from the soil to surround the little sprite.

It was agile and called out around itself.

Lilith felt their presence before she could see them.

Tiny glowing eyes appeared around them and the sounds of the same otherworldly laugh echoed in the clearing.

She sent a cascade of roots around her, whipping at the oncoming sprites.

A few of them were hit and flew backwards into the forest surrounding the clearing.

However, her defence was not enough and they were closing in.

She dodged their attacks as she called on her weakest element.

Water pulsed around her creating a levitating barrier between the creatures and herself.

Panting and losing her edge, she gave one final push of her mana.

The water expanded outward and exploded, blasting the fire sprites and dousing their flame.

Little bodies of the sprites laid around her.

Similar to a dying ember, their greyish skin glistened with a coat of water and their red hue was lost without their usual aura of fire.

Regret filled her as their bodies shivered and breathing became laborious.

She reached her hand out and ignited them with her fire.

They basked in her flames and took on a vibrant red.

Slowly their glowing eyes opened. They did not attack her, but regrouped as one by her feet. All of them waited, ever so docile.

The sounds of faint clapping filled the clearing. Storm casually walked out through the trees. The little fire sprites scattered, retreating to the cover of darkness.

“Impressive, for a girl,” he smirked, his electric bluish purple eyes scanned the little sprites. Lilith sank into a defensive pose. She was ready to strike if he tried anything.

He put his hands in the air and stood at the edge of the forest. “I caught sight of you trying to watch my training session. I only deemed it fair to reciprocate your actions.” He wagged his finger at her, which sent her anger over the edge.

He laughed at her glare. “Save it for tomorrow. Though I doubt you’ll last long enough to make it to me.

” He backed away, retreating into the darkness of the forest.

“Just you wait,” she muttered. She stomped her way back to the dormitory. It was getting late, and she needed to rest.