Battle Mage: Winter's Edge (59 page)

Her fire shields collapsed and only her mage shields stopped the girl from being washed away.

Annalicia stole some water creating some strange creatures that appeared fishlike. Using the spin of her tornado, the water constructs launched at his defenses and spit water from their mouths in even stronger attacks. The projectiles weakened his fire shields, the fish striking the walls solidly finished them off.

From then on, it was strictly being defensive for the man. Shield after shield rose and fell as he slowly stepped backwards out of the ring. When the attacks stopped, Timmerin looked at his feet outside the circle and cursed before walking to the side of the arena. He would be forced to watch and he could at least say that he hadn’t been thrown out of the circle.

The weakness to the water attack left Serrena open to being exploited as the other two almost instantly attacked from each side using the remainder of the pool’s water. Losing her footing and being washed out of the ring ended Serrena’s tournament.

After the fire wizard’s dismissal, the water wizard smiled at her opposition’s failure. The water and fire schools were rivals in almost every school after all and defeating a rival held a lot of satisfaction, but for the woman from Marianis the fact that she was not alone had escaped her momentarily.

Annalicia had never released her tornado and the pool, the water wizard’s main source of power, was empty. Short seconds later, Wizard Karrelee was defeated by a combination of air attacks leaving the popular wizard from Malaiy standing alone. Her ovation was so loud that the judge had to wait to announce her victory.

Running to the stands, Annalicia nearly made it to Darius for personal congratulations before she was swamped by her fans much to her guards’ dismay. A small whirlwind started in the middle of the crowd pushing them back as gently as the girl could as she was being crushed from all the attention. Small cries as people were pushed back could be heard from where Sebastian stood worriedly. The small young woman had completely disappeared like Serrena under the flood.

The judge used his magic to chasten the crowd to little avail. Sebastian noted Darius doing a chant and moving his hands. Unable to see Annalicia, the mage was unsure what had happened but the whirlwind disappeared and so did the girl. With the wizard mysteriously vanished, the crowd was left unsure of where to go and what to do before finally dispersing.

Darius had continued with his magic and the mage noted that he seemed to be directing something from the air to his side. Moments later a small, cloaked figured stood next to him clutching his arm. The grand master gestured for the men of Malaiy to come to him and they quickly shielded Lady Annalicia from her adoring fans.

Invisibility and some sort of spell that made her fly to him? Sebastian wondered what kinds of magic a man nearly seven hundred years old must know that no one else alive could possibly understand.

It was a conversation for later, he supposed as Darius and those from Malaiy quickly left the arena. Sebastian led his group away from the Colonnades as well. Ashleen had a match at the newly named Four Hills next and that afternoon they would watch Collin’s as well. Serrena caught up to them dripping wet and angry.

“Stupid water wizards!” she complained. The winter weather already had her shivering uncontrollably. Apparently the protective spells had only saved her from the physical trauma of being struck and not the water itself.

Directing the girl to hold still, Sebastian used an old spell to pull the water from her clothes. Then he and Yara used their magic to heal and warm her skin. It didn’t take the two long to help Serrena and they were off again arriving at the Four Hills with time to spare.

Ashleen was another wizard that was getting popular in the city. Her powerful lightning had decimated the wizards she had fought. With the power of a wilder, her spells were quick, strong, and hard to beat. Even against three others, Sebastian watched her duel with such ease that he wondered if he could beat the girl one on one, whether he used his extra strength or not, she was formidable.

Air, fire and a water wizard fought hard against the woman that could control earth and air while summoning lightning from both. The match was well fought from them all, but soon only Ashleen was left standing, though she looked very drained. Sebastian had double checked the wilder as she ate to restore her strength. One of the things that he had learned from his friend while studying her talents, was that a wilder could easily harm themselves by over using their power. It was always on and when there was no trace left; Ashleen would be in serious danger.

Resupplying a bit of energy with his own, Sebastian with Yara’s help managed to add to her low reserves. Pale cheeks soon held full health again, but as she sat eating Ashleen actually fell asleep against his shoulder.

Yara appeared understanding, but he could tell that it bothered her. While Sebastian couldn’t say that he understood women all the time, he did know enough to know when Yara’s feelings were being hurt most of the time. Letting Wendle and Deiclonus escort Ashleen back to their inn to rest; Sebastian took the healer’s hand and led the others to an array of dining tents raised for the crowds gathering outside the city for the tournament.

After the first half of the day was over, the team had been reduced by their matches drastically. Liam had lost in the Hedges to a nature wizard from Green Hall. Serrena had lost to Annalicia and that only left Collin remaining from his wizards. With that extra knowledge burdening him, the earth wizard looked like a bundle of nerves.

“Are you that worried?” the mage asked his friend. Nara sat beside him looking almost as worried, he thought.

His meal sitting before him largely untouched, Collin nodded, “It’s not just for me. Other than you I don’t think there’s anyone left from Windmeer in the tournament. I’d hate to disappoint anyone by losing.”

Liam smiled, “If it makes you feel better, Shirama is here. I saw her win in the match after me. By the way speaking of pressure to win, do you remember the girl from my village that I told you all about?”

At their questioning looks, the water wizard sighed and reminded them, “When we were talking about people from our towns I told you about the girl half a dozen years younger than me? Her name is Shirama Blackwood and I found out that she was in the tournament too. So if you think that you were under pressure, I wound up having to fight her today.”

With everyone’s attention piqued, Olan began to shake his head. “Don’t tell me that pretty little nature wizard that won your match was her? Why didn’t you say something?”

Laughing ruefully, Liam replied, “You think it’s easy to start a conversation about how your kid sister’s little friend has grown up and just kicked your butt in a match?”

Olan rubbed his chin with a slight smile. “Really pretty.”

Smacking the mage on his shoulder, Liam frowned angrily. “Hey, I know that she turned out pretty! You don’t have to rub my nose in it.”

Yara grinned saying, “It sounds like you might have a crush on her, Liam. You didn’t throw the match because you liked her did you?”

“I wouldn’t… well, at least I don’t think I did,” the water wizard went from adamant to confused midsentence. “Maybe I should go look for her in the city and see if we can talk over old times together. Well, there probably aren’t a lot of those, but maybe the people from our town…”

“And we lost him,” Olan said with a chuckle.

Collin looked more alarmed, “You’re not going to my match?”

Shaking his head clearing his thoughts, the water wizard suddenly smiled looking sheepish, “Well, after you win your match, of course!”

They went to Four Hills and watched as Collin climbed the hill to face his opponents. Sebastian’s hopes for his friend were mitigated by the opponents. Another of those mysterious wizards from Gray Hall, a wizard of the Dragon Mountains wearing his amulet and a surprise to the mix a wizard from one of the islands known as Baltu. It was a reasonably small nation from the middle of the ring of islands made larger after the cataclysm. Wizards had been working to remove the salt of the ocean’s water and make it into usable farmland for decades, so a small school had apparently cropped up there. The fact that he had made it this far brought new credibility to the little island.

As good as his run had been, both he and Collin soon discovered that it was really just a two way race. Both men put up a good fight, but first the islander and then Collin were defeated by the pair. Their animosity towards each other came out with a great intensity then, but like in Sebastian’s match the gray wizard revealed powers and a skill that surpassed the dragon wizard.

Collin looked dejected, but now that it was over the man seemed more at ease. While he hadn’t won, the wizard had gone down respectably. There was nothing to regret.

By the end of the day, Sebastian felt some of the pressure that Collin had felt. As he went to the administration building to hear of the next day’s matches, he went alone.

A scream sounded nearby. Fireballs and other magical spells continued from the army’s center as several of the wizards had remained mounted for the advantage of height and continued to drive back the enemy’s beasts. The goblin and orc part of the army had only tested their strength once and paid dearly despite the continued harassment from the lions and wolves.

Managing to pull together the army not only repulsed the enemy, but had even managed to move the column out of the bottle neck. Wizards and wounded led the remaining horses, since no one liked the idea of trying to walk back to Windmeer on foot. Supplies would have to be carried on backs through the deep snow tiring them even more without the horses’ aid.

Most of the soldiers and battle mages remained on foot as they fought to move the column forward. Water and fire wizards tried to clear the pathway ahead of as much of the snow as possible making footing easier for man and beast to both walk and fight. With the snow removal, their destination was continually the easiest way to move.

A fireball shot straight up into the air from behind a hill to their right. The Falcon’s Keep Army had tried to maintain contact as they too struggled to pull themselves from a well laid trap. Rilena had to wonder just how many of the emperor’s forces had made it to the fortress on this side of the wall. Keeping them from over running Southwall had always been contingent on keeping them north of the wall and now at least one fortress had already been placed in their country. With the ability to use magic
portals, the emperor could continue to reinforce his armies pushing an invasion into the rest of Southwall. They had to find a way to stop him somehow, but first they needed to not die here.

“Falcons, we need to push them back on our left,” Falconi Ralto proclaimed riding his horse back along the line. The column continued to plod along steadily, but she could see the enemy forming up with their shields moving to intercept them once more.

Glancing back to their commander, Rilena noticed his virtually unruffled appearance and began to dislike the man for a different reason. He was obviously a skilled mage to look so fresh as he rode behind the defensive perimeter of soldiers and battle mages. Had he been some lord that had hidden behind his troops, a clean uniform might be expected, but Rilena knew that he had fought at the front of the column during the start of the ambush as much as anyone. It didn’t make her like the stuck up man, but at least she could respect him as a soldier.

As Rilena continued moving with the unit while watching the enemy, something new began to happen uphill towards the fortress and the enemy’s main force. A dark fog seemed to be forming and as it formed it grew rolling down the slope of the mountain towards the soldiers. Others noticed it as well and voices became raised in worry.

“What are they doing now?” Rilena mused aloud.

Elzen answered the rhetorical question for her, “They’ve been using ambushes from the start, now they’re creating their own smoke screen to mask their next attack.”

Glancing at the often whimsical young man, it was hard to juxtapose his jester-like personality with the sober businesslike mage Elzen became in a fight. Worse than thinking that the comedian could answer her question without pause, was that she hadn’t been as fast. She was older than him and had been a falcon for longer besides, but the boy was quick in a pinch.

She was just about to ask what he thought they were going to try when fireballs lit the remaining distance between the black fog and the soldiers of Southwall. A cry rose up from the darkness and suddenly a horde of armored goblins and orcs came sprinting through the fog. As more fireballs met shields trying to distract them, the horde closed and the close fighting began anew.

“Ice the slope!” Elzen suddenly cried out loud enough for several wizards and falcons to send out out spells to reduce the snow to slick patches of ice. They weren’t quick enough to change the entire field between them, but the quickly thought of plan slowed much of the horde descending upon them. Fireballs from the Southwall contingent followed burning and killing dozens of the enemy soldiers.

Even with the help from their magic, many of the enemy made it to their line. Rilena cut down an orc than was too slow in his heavy armor. Elzen slipped between a pair of goblins lashing out with both hands and the glowing mage blades landed killing blows. Zerra slammed her mage shield into another orc, but his mass was too much for her to drive back. It was still enough to leave a gap in his defense as her sword slid between them stabbing upward into his head beneath a crude helm.