be a fitting match for these two champions?” the Master of Ceremonies continued. “Surely the only fitting complement to two such favorites would be an entirely new team, one poised to steal the hearts of Insea’s citizens. Heroes from a far-away land, these brave fighters have defeated opponents we could only dream of. I bring you…Sephith’s Bane!”
“Good name,” Justin told Lyle as the platform slid up to show the team to the stadium. The two of them waved and Tina followed suit. “Wow, it’s, uh…it’s quite something to see this many people looking at me.”
“Ye’ve fought demons,” the dwarf said. “An’ this intimidates ye?”
“I haven’t fought demons,” Tina whispered.
“Sure you have,” Justin told her. “The Elder Castros.”
She snorted with laughter at the mention of her parents. “Truly, soul-sucking bastards.”
“What do they do with the souls?” Lyle asked, intrigued.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she whispered dramatically and fixed him with a somber look. She ignored Justin’s unsuccessful attempt to keep from laughing. “I am the third in my line and only I have succeeded where the others failed. Two brave heroes fell before me and became their thralls.”
“Oh, well done,” Justin muttered. “But, uh…don’t you two think we should look at the arena?”
“Right.” They snapped to attention.
The battlefield looked like no landscape Tina had ever seen. She had expected there to be barriers of some kind, all on the golden rock. Instead, magic—it could only be magic—had conjured a strange, alien landscape. Tumbled boulders were piled between stands of trees with gray bark and brilliant leaves that rustled like crystals.
She scanned the area with a small frown. “What’s that?” To one side of them, a few boulders away, was one that looked subtly different. “Is that one of the supply caches? It is!” Now that she studied it more closely, she could see the little door that would open and reveal the treasure inside.
“Good work!” Justin grinned at her. “Let’s get some weapons.” As one of the conditions of the skirmishes, contestants could bring their own armor, minus any enchantments, but all weapons would be found inside the arena. One of the trials each team would face would be to find a cache, arm themselves, and base their fighting style on what they found.
A magical border glowed around them and the whole stadium counted down together. Despite her reservations, Tina’s anticipation level increased. She’d always been the one who tried to get out of presenting and had even skipped school on days she was supposed to have recitals, much to her parents’ annoyance.
This, however, was something entirely different. Her blood began to pump with unexpected vigor and she grinned as she settled into a runners’ crouch.
When the horn sounded to start the match, she raced forward with her two teammates. She was light on her feet and always had been, and she was able to hurdle the boulder-strewn terrain with only one slip. Lyle caught her, she did the same for him, and they both consequently reached the cache a few steps behind Justin, who grinned smugly.
He pressed the glowing rune on the side of the false boulder, and it sprang open to display a selection of daggers.
All daggers.
“Well, good for me,” Tina said, her smile broad. She also took a few vials of liquid. “What are these?”
“They give yer weapon flames—or wind powers, or water.” The dwarf looked suspiciously at her. “Aren’t ye a legendary warrior?”
“Where I come from,” she said, “we don’t use hacks like this.” She picked up a blue vial. “I have to say, though, I’m interested to see what the power of water will do with daggers.” She opened the vial and dipped one of the blades into it.
“Well…” Justin made sample passes with his chosen weapons. “It looks like I’ll have to fight at close range. I tell you, I’ll be pissed if the other teams have bows and arrows.”
“Nah,” she pointed out cheerfully. “If they do, you simply need to wait for them to run out of arrows.”
“Very true.” He held a hand out, concentrated for a moment, and blew out an annoyed breath. “No magic here. Phooey.”
“Less yappin’, more movin’,” Lyle told them shortly. He had dipped his blades into a bottle of black liquid that Tina found disturbing. “Or haven’t ye noticed that we’re attractin’ attention?” He nodded his head to the area of the arena behind them.
She turned to look and gulped reflexively. The other team now headed directly toward them.