Chapter 42 — The Divinesday Newcomers Tournament! (Part 1)

“Aaaaaaannnnnd, BEGIN!”

The roar of the crowd at the announced start shook Ria’s bones, and she would’ve been trembling if she wasn’t already dashing forward to attack their opponents, loosely grouped more than a hundred paces away.

Ranger woofed by her side, but she barely heard it. An arrow filled with dense fire energy arced toward the ground only a stride away, and she and Ranger leapt in opposite directions as a fiery explosion crashed into her hastily-erected air shield.

Their opponents for this match were a well-balanced group. A warrior type first-year with a war hammer and metal armor, an enchanter archer second-year, a shadow element second-year, and a second-year from that same Oburon’s Oath Order as the four boys that helped her during the orichalcum glyph creation.

Going with the change in direction, she curved around to flank the enchanter and abjurer.

Her task was to harry them together with Ranger and make opportunistic attacks while Zena, Malleron, and Iselyn handled defense and Keira sniped them from range.

With a staccato clacking of metal plates, the armored boy rushed to intercept with a speed born of body-strengthening magic. A pulse of earth magic from her training dagger deflected a brutal swing of his hammer as she slipped past, grabbing a strap on the back of his armor, and used her momentum and magic-enhanced strength to throw him into the air, right at the abjuration mage.

The cheers from her unexpected feat almost caused her to stumble as the sound shook the ground. Goosebumps covered her arms and a thrill ran up her spine upon realizing that so many people were cheering for her! This must be why students joined the arena Orders!

{Dodge left!}

Iselyn’s voice directed as the telepathic tether connected. Ria didn’t hesitate, diving to the ground and rolling. Painful fire washed over the places her cloak didn’t cover. Gritting her teeth, she quickly resummoned her Air Shield wand she had stored to free her hand for the throw and charged for the enchanter.

A fierce grin spread across her face at the enchanter boy’s suddenly panicked expression. Now it was her turn.

~Some time earlier~

As her team entered the pre-match examination room, Ria didn’t even want to think about the sea of faces surely in the stands. How many people did it take for the cheering from just the announcer hyping the event to vibrate the stone of the halls and rooms underneath the main arena?

“Nervous?” Zena asked, flashing her an eager grin.

“Maybe,” Ria admitted. During her official duel, she had been so focused on her task and Phaelys that she was to put the crowd out of her mind. This time was different. She was here to gain experience… and improve her funds. Working the crowd was a big part of the improving-her-funds thing.

Zena laughed as she placed the magic items she intended to use during the match on a metal table in front of the examiner and stepped onto the energy measuring platform next to the table.

The blue gemstones embedded into the attached pillar and the table lit up one by one as Zena’s total energy and the total energy of her items were quantified.

“Zena, your items are over by a fair amount,” the examiner questioned with a voice that suggested she should know better.

Zena gave the mage doing the examination a smirk as she stepped off the platform and to the table with the protective manacles and collars they would each need to equip. “Don’t worry about that. We measured everything beforehand. I’m not the highest member on my team for this event.”

That drew a double eyebrow raise from the man.

The rules allowed them to each use potions and items totalling up to the amount of energy of the highest measured team member. The distinction was made to allow combat enchanters and alchemists the ability to effectively compete even with their lower energy reserves while preventing wealthy entrants from outfitting in excessively powerful gear and easily achieving victory. Using anything not declared before the match resulted in a forfeiture of all winnings and banning from future events for a period of time.

Ria placed her items and her cloak on the table alongside Zena’s collection. The devastator plate drew an eye roll as it clanked on the table. The rest of her items didn’t seem to merit much interest, thankfully.

Whether the amulet of faith would have been a problem was a real concern. Ria didn’t like being without it’s protection, and the change in her aura from taking it off had drawn surprised stares from her teammates when they were measuring their gear before yesterday’s training… er fiery torture session of unending burning fire.

After practice suppressing her aura at Zena and Keira’s advising, the change wasn’t as obvious this time, and somehow, as they had discovered the prior day, the amulet didn’t register as all that magical when measured.

Ria moved onto the platform, and the man’s thick eyebrows disappeared when he saw the results. He whistled under his breath. “A measurement many third-years would be pleased with. That’s quite the advantage for the newcomer’s tournament.”

“I know, right?” Zena enthused.

“It’s disgusting is what it is,” Keira grumbled, shaking her head. “I’ve been tirelessly improving my magic since I was little, and some unknown village girl is leaving me in the dust after less than a year? She’ll be an unstoppable monster soon if she keeps growing at her current rate.”

Iselyn’s hood bobbed in agreement. The timid girl had tugged her cloak’s hood lower each time a rumbling cheer sounded out. Anticipating a possible attempt to escape, Keira was stationed to block the exit as they did their check-in.

Ria smiled awkwardly. What to think about how she compared to her peers, she hadn’t yet come to grips with it. Even if her instinct wanted to deny the possibility, the truth was becoming more and more obvious: her unfair innate traits placed her among the elites of her age group—elites from families wealthier and more powerful than anything she could have imagined while growing up in Shadewood.

“I’ve got your measurement,” the examiner prompted her.

“Ah, right,” Ria stepped off the platform so Iselyn could be measured. The required manacles were next.

The idea of having to wear a tight-fitting collar and wrist and ankle bracelets that reminded of the restraints Duelleres used on Amilee was something Ria initially recoiled from, but Zena had explained how they were part of the safety magic used by Crysellia’s Grand Arena. The arena was too large to use the same approach as the training halls such as the one in Parthanex tower, and the physical devices both provided better protection and were better able to overcome mental resistance to the illusionary effects—an important consideration, as heart failure from a ‘fatal’ wound or excessive pain was the usual way competitors died during the games. Physical brain injury from mental stress, overexertion, and illusory damage to the head was the other. To reduce the risk, the magic would render the competitor unconscious upon receiving a ‘fatal’ wound or reaching a dangerous mental state.

Ria applied energy to the small gem controlling the sealing magic as she wrapped each snuggly in place.

Calling them ‘manacles’ was overstating their visual impact. The physical devices were slimmer and less obtrusive than the Inquisitors’ magic-neutralizing restraints, and were made out of a flexible metal with a slight bluish tint. Though handling the manacle-like devices was her first time encountering the metal, she had guessed them to be made of mithril before Zena had confirmed it. The embedded gems on each were also interesting and refracted light in odd ways that suggested of their spatial enchantments.

Once Keira and Iselyn had finished with the examiner, Ria put her amulet, cloak, divination obscuring ring, and Jeni’s pouch back on and stored the rest of her items.

It felt strange not wearing her orichalcum bracelet even after only having it for a few days, but it didn’t make the list because the energy stored inside was too strong. As it was, she had to draw off much of the devastator’s stored energy to get it within the limits imposed by the tournament’s rules.

After reclaiming their stuff, Zena led them toward the connected waiting room, Keira huffed and grumbled at Ria, “I still can’t believe you’re going to wear that.”

Ria laughed and twirled in a full circle to tease Keira, her cloak flaring outward to reveal the ‘witch costume’ she made for the Festival of Fear underneath.

“She looks great in it,” Zena assured. “Her usual robe isn’t flashy enough. Being an all-girl group will help our popularity, but we also need to look feminine for the best results.”

“Some things are more important than coin,” Keira rebutted.

Zena laughed. “Certainly that is true. But as students acquiring the resources we need to grow our attunements and energy reserves is hardly inexpensive.”

Iselyn slowly nodded her agreement to the sentiment, and Keira wasn’t about to contest that point considering how tight her own finances were.

Wearing the witch costume was Zena’s idea. Zena asked her if she had any showy dresses that she’d be able to battle in, and the witch dress with its ‘tattered’ short skirt and detached sleeves actually gave her more mobility than her robe, was lighter too. The arena-obsessed girl had immediately given the outfit enthusiastic approval.

That didn’t mean Ria wasn’t nervous about wearing the costume in front of so many people—especially since it was the first dress she had designed and sewn on her own. Losing the protection and earth attunement boost from her Order robe was a trade-off too, even if it let her keep more energy stored in the devastator.

“Alright, let’s go over what I was able to learn about our opponents…” Zena started as they sat down to await their match. Zena had drawn the second slot, so theirs would be the next. The announcer could already be heard providing commentary on the first fight, his magically projected voice echoing from the stairs that would lead them into the arena’s combat grounds.

Sixteen teams were competing in the morning’s newcomers’ four-on-four tournament including a team from the Flaming Dragons members they had just trained with. Promising first and second-years from other arena Orders, the Earthshakers and Stormbringers, had also formed teams to gain experience and to compete for the prizes. Through the luck of the draw, Ria’s team would have to face at least one of the three and most likely two of the three if the Stormbringers made it to the semi-finals.

Presius’ Silver Lions hadn’t entered a team, so Zena felt the team from Farenthil would be the most difficult to beat and would be the team they would face in the finals. The rest she said were uninspiring commoners and low-ranking nobles trying to earn coin for their tuition or gain prestige to improve their marriage or employment prospects.

By the time a member of the arena staff had come down the stairs to tell them to get ready, the strategy for their first match had been agreed upon. A sudden roar from the crowd added to the nervousness Ria was already feeling at having been selected for such a prominent role in their first match.

“Ready girls?” Zena asked and, after getting determined nods all around, led the way up the stairs to the gate where the staff member was waiting to let them into the arena. “It’s show time.”

“Wasn’t that exciting?!” the announcer pumped the crowd. “But hang onto your hats, the excitement is just beginning! For our second match, we have an all-girl and all first-year team! Let’s hear it for these brave newcomers, Zena’s Embers of Desolation!”

Ria followed Zena out onto the dirt as the gate was opened for them, her heart hammering in her chest hard enough to almost be heard over the wall of sound from the endless rows of faces surrounding the competition grounds—so many more than during her duel.

“Not only are they brave and ambitious, but for those of you who guessed, their leader is indeed the daughter of the Hero Jeria Emberflow!”

A louder and less mocking cheer buffeted Ria this time, and she saw Zena give a big smile and wave while confidently striding toward the large starting square marked on their side of the grounds. As Ria looked up to take in the height of the arena’s seating, her eyes fixed on large illusions hovering high above the combat grounds showing close-up views of herself and her teammates.

“And that’s not the only surprise this team has to offer! Entering behind Zena is Crysellia’s newest and recently recognized War Hero, the controversial and rumored Witch of Vorshan’s Hills herself: Ria of Shadewood!”

Though her cheer was unmistakably mixed with more jeers than Zena’s, Ria tried smiling and waving to the crowd like Zena was doing and her gigantic illusion mimicked her, which drew a younger set of cheers. Ranger woofed with his ears tucked flat. The noise and smells from the uncountable numbers of people come to watch the matches had him looking unsure.

{Don’t you want to show everyone how strong you are now?}

Ria told Ranger, and with a nod, he whuffled out a breath and stood taller.

The announcer chuckled at the mixed reaction Ria received. “Now, now. Her previous opponent was a Vesali, so it’s unfair to hold that against her. I’m sure she’ll be extra motivated for today’s performance!”

The ripple of mocking laughter made Ria cringe as her stomach flopped. Ugh.

“Next we have a mysterious branded mind mage from Erime, rumored to be a rare moon element illusionist—and if her nature-spirit familiar is any indication, quite the find—Iselyn Jayre!”

Malleron beside Iselyn didn’t seem to have a care in the world as he strutted in front of his contractor who had a hand tugging her hood as low as it would go. Gasps and surprised rumbles of sudden conversation greeted Iselyn’s introduction.

“And lastly for Zena’s Embers of Desolation, we have an apprentice of the Order of the Golden Dawn! Another veteran of the Siege of Vorshan’s Hills! The granddaughter of the Lord of Vorshan’s Hills, Keira Vorshan!

Keira smiled and waved with a conservative back-and-forth twisting of her wrist. Her poise and composure reminded Ria of when her friend addressed the villagers during the trial. The crowd’s reaction was closer to Zena’s than hers or Iselyn, not that Keira’s cheers could compare with the deafening enthusiasm of the cheers that Jeria Emberflow’s daughter had received, but they were good sounding cheers. Ria blinked in surprise... Maybe her pretty but chubby friend would be more popular than expected?

“How far can this team of first years go? Will they impress and make history? Their more experienced opponents will surely have something to say about that! From Seeker’s Hall, the D-ranked adventuring team: Honor’s Shield!”

As the announcer began introducing their opponents, Ria and Ranger took up their planned position at the edge of her team's starting square closest to the center of the grounds—closest to their opponents—and prepared in her mind the spells she would need. This time she didn’t have to fake a loss. This time she could fight for victory. As was only right! The Divinesday tournaments were spectacles dedicated to the gods. To half-heartedly give a mediocre performance or worse, engage in cheating or deception, was to offer up an insult to the gods themselves.

Today she would offer up her best.