Chapter 269: The Challenge of Pillar & Sea

The crowds of thousands screamed and cheered the names of the other teams as they walked, Undergrowth, Murkton, Frost Rim. Stryg could hear their voices even from his team’s training room underneath the coliseum, their cheers shook the ground itself.

Had it been yesterday or any other day, Stryg would have been intimidated, daunted by the cheers of thousands. But not today. No, today he sat alone on a bench and simply watched his teammates in silence.

Their professors were giving each one of them some last-minute advice before the 2nd Challenge began. Tauri was giving Freya pointers on her orange magic, Ismene was explaining the finer details of mana flow to Sylvie, and Cornelius was telling Callum how to please the crowds? It was something about how the crowds didn’t favor Hollow Shade, which was why Cornelius wanted to help sway their opinion. Stryg would have cared about such things yesterday, but not today.

Lysaila sat in a corner of the room, her usual angry and confident demeanor nowhere to be seen. She seemed distant, her indigo eyes stared at the ground, and she made no effort to speak with anyone, not even her usual borderline-threats banter with Gale. Some part of Stryg recalled that Holo had spoken to her about something, but none of that seemed to matter right now, not to him, not today.

“Stryg, you okay?” Gale plopped down next to him on the bench. “You haven’t come back to the tavern the past two days, I was beginning to seriously worry.”

“...I’m fine,” he muttered without making eye contact.

“Really, ‘cause it looked like you were sulking over here all by yourself,” Gale raised her eyebrow.

“I said I’m fine.”

“No, I got that. I heard what you said, I just don’t believe it.”

Stryg sighed, “...Have you ever trusted someone so completely that you’d do anything for them? Only to find out that they had been lying to you, using you…”

Gale nodded with a sympathetic smile, “My family has protected House Veres for a thousand years. In that time there have been many Veres who have not been worthy of our loyalty, our protection, or our dedication. Many Veres have lied and tried to manipulate my ancestors.”

“And what did your ancestors do about it?”

“We made sure that those people didn’t become the next leader of House Veres. We refused to back them or their claim to the Veres throne and instead we pushed them away. Life is sometimes like that; you have to push away the people who hurt you, even if you care for them.”

“That’s all…? You wouldn’t kill the people who hurt you?” Stryg asked, confused.

Gale shrugged, “Could you really kill the people you love?”

Stryg stared at his trembling hands, “I… I don’t know.”

“You still haven’t found the answer to my question, huh?”

“Who am I?” Stryg recited with a mumble. “I still don’t know the answer…”

Gale patted his shoulder, “We’re complex beings, you don’t have to figure it all out once. Start with just a small piece, do that, and I’m sure you’ll eventually find the rest.”

The door suddenly slammed open and Loh barged into the room.

“Sorry, I’m late everyone,” she said apologetically. “I was looking for Vayu.”

Stryg stiffened at the sight of Loh. She seemed fine, like her usual self, and yet Stryg felt as if he was looking at someone completely different. Anger and the memory of betrayal churned in his stomach in a painful knot. He wanted to say something, anything, but his voice caught in his throat.

“So, where is the boy?” Ismene asked.

“I found Vayu in a tavern. Turns out he went out last night and got blackout drunk,” Loh shook her head. “He’s in his bed right now, nursing his hangover. I don’t think he’s gonna make it.”

“Of all the days,” Ismene clicked her tongue. “Alright, there’s no time to waste, the heralds will call us out there any minute.”

Ismene gripped her cane and pushed herself up to her feet. She glanced at her students and nodded with satisfaction, “Despite the suspicious events of the First Challenge, all four of you acted with bravery and determination. I don’t care what those sibling heralds or Lady Thorn say. You were all incredible that day. I’m asking, we’re asking for you to show that same level of commitment today.”

“You can count on us, I swear it,” Freya stood upright and placed her hand over her heart.

“I believe you, captain,” Ismene smiled. “Now, one last quick rundown before you all go out there. Tauri, you may do the honors.”

“Thank you,” Tauri nodded and stood up, “The coliseum’s stage has been refitted in the last few days, it will be similar to what you all encountered in your finals in your 1st year. Every tourney holds a race as its 1st or 2nd Challenge, and the racecourse always stays the same.”

Tauri opened her arms wide, “About forty pillars, a dozen paces wide and sixty paces tall, have been raised up from the ground all over the arena. Each team will start on the southside of the coliseum, each team on their own pillar, and will have to jump from one giant pillar to the next in a race to see who gets to the northside first.”

“While there are no harnesses to keep you from falling off,” Tauri looked at Stryg, “This time they will have water down below. The arena has been flooded with water 20ft deep from the nearby river, but they will have also put white eels in there, so try your best not to fall. Like seriously try your best, I’ve seen people lose chunks of flesh to those eels.”

“I do like a challenge,” Sylvie grinned.

“Sounds wonderful,” Callum grimaced.

“~TEAM HOLLOW SHADE!!~” the voices of the heralds echoed from above.

“It’s time,” Ismene said. “Remember, your goal is to reach the northside platform. Every team will be trying to hinder each other, but they will all be trying to reach the finish line. It doesn’t matter if they seem stronger than you, all you need to do is get to the finish line.”

“Points are given out to teams based on the order each person reached the finish line,” Cornelius added. “So long as you all get 2nd place we may still have a shot at winning one of the Trinity Prizes.”

“They don’t have to win any prize, they only need to stay safe,” Ismene admonished. She looked at her students and bowed her head, “Please… Just stay safe, that’s all we want from you.”

Do you know, Ismene? Do you know how they lied about Widow’s Crag? Do you even care about any of us? Stryg wondered grimly.

“Ahem, we said, ~TEAM HOLLOW SHADE~!!” Jane’s voice boomed throughout the coliseum.

“Alright, get going,” Ismene waved them off.

“Yes, professor!” Freya nodded and ran out the door, Callum and Sylvie right behind her.

Stryg went to follow, but Loh stopped him.

“Hey, you can’t bring Nameless with you,” Loh pointed at the sword on his hip. “The 2nd Challenge only allows you to bring enchanted weapons and potions you made yourself, remember?”

“...Right,” Stryg numbly unstrapped his belt and tossed his sword to Gale, “Take care of Nameless for me.”

Gale caught the sheathed blade with a deft hand and nodded, “Sure thing.”

Loh studied Stryg’s face and frowned, “You haven’t slept have you? Where have you been?”

Now you want to know? Or are you just pretending to care? Have you ever cared? Stryg thought. “I need to go.”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Loh said. “We’ll talk about this later, okay?”

Stryg’s pupils narrowed to thin slits, “I’m counting on it.” He turned and walked to the door.

“Hey, Stryg,” Loh called out. “Whatever happens out there, win or lose, it won’t change who you are. You’re not a failure. You’re the one in a million, remember that.”

Stryg slowly turned his back and looked at her, tears in his eyes, “...Do you really believe that?”

“I always have,” Loh smiled.

Stryg turned around without another word and walked out.

~~~

Calex Thorn stood at the edge of an enormous stone pillar and looked down. Even from up here, he could see a few faint silhouettes rushing through the water. The white eels were native to Hoarfrost Bay, north of the Northern Lands.

“Scared of heights?” Heather Navis asked as she walked up next to him.

“No, thankfully,” Calex spoke with a serene voice. “I was simply wondering how many white eels are in the water, more specifically how quickly they might devour someone.”

“Well, that’s… nice,” Heather forced herself to smile.

“Not really, no,” Calex said.

The southern gate opened with the loud churning of chains once more. Freya stepped out of the tunnel and found herself on a small platform that stretched out from beneath the gate. The nearest empty pillar was half a dozen feet from her.

Calex carefully watched as the Goldelm dwarf channeled orange mana into her legs and hopped over to the empty pillar. The dire hybrid and the Veres walked out next and jumped over to Freya.

“Vampires, they don’t even have to use magic, just a little bit of run and bam, they’re already on the next pillar,” Damian Parvus glared at them.

“Yes, a vampire’s athletic abilities do give them an edge over the rest of us when it comes to this Challenge,” Calex said. “But that won’t stop us from reaching 1st place.”

“Do we really have to go through with this?” Veronica groaned. “This feels like cheating.”

“It isn’t,” Calex said resolutely. I’m doing this to prove to my mother that we can win this without cheating. “Just a bit of strategy.”

“It still feels scummy,” Veronica mumbled.

“Shut up, you just like that blue Hollow Shader,” Heather pointed at Stryg who had just joined his teammates.

Before Veronica could retort, Calex spoke up calmly, “Heather, there’s no reason for hostility. We are a team.”

Heather’s cheeks turned dark with shame, “Sorry, captain.”

Calex ignored the apology, his eyes were focused on his mother who stood across the coliseum at the finish line. Ophelia Thorn suddenly raised her arm high.

“That’s the signal, we’re about to begin,” Calex noted. “Veronica, give your satchel to Heather, now.”

“Yes, captain,” Veronica sighed and passed her satchel over.

Heather picked it up with a grimace, “It’s heavy.”

“There are over twenty potions in there, don’t drop any of them near us,” Veronica warned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll just drop the potions somewhere else,” Heather winked.

Damian stretched his arms and smiled wide, “I’ve been waiting for this all week.”

Calex glanced at the Murkton mages to his left, Gilgard Morrigan and his teammates seemed as unaware of their plan as ever.

Calex looked past the Hollow Shaders on his right and to the pillar next to them where Frost Rim’s team stood. Kalliste Lilith and he made eye contact, and they subtly nodded to each other.

Ophelia’s raised arm fell down to her side in a flash. The crowds roared with cheers.

The heralds yelled from up within their tower, “May the Challenge of Pillar & Sea… BEGIN!”

Calex didn’t hesitate, before anyone could move, he had already channeled white mana into his arms and fired off a bright spell of light behind him. The powerful white beam curved around the pillars and blasted into Callum Veres’ back in an explosion of light.

Callum screamed in anguish as the master-spell burned through his clothes and skin. He fell over with a gasp.

Sylvie cried out, “Callu-!”

A bolt of lightning seared through the air and struck down Sylvie from the back, sending her tumbling to the edge of the pillar. Her body spasmed in pain as blue electricity crackled around her.

Kalliste smiled from the other side, tendrils of lightning forming once more on her fingertips.

“We’ll leave the rest to you,” Calex nodded to his teammates.

“Gladly!” Damian kicked the ground. Shards of stone flew out from the pillar and bombarded the Hollow Shade mages.

Frost Rim’s mages began hurling their own slew of spells at Freya and her teammates in a pincer attack.

Kalliste broke off from her teammates and ran towards the finish line across the stadium.

Calex followed suit and channeled orange agility magic into his body. In just a few seconds he managed to catch up with Kalliste, but instead of attacking her he simply smiled.

Kalliste smiled slyly, “Your plan worked.”

Calex glanced behind him and spotted Gilgard and the other Murkton mages chasing them, “Perfectly, it seems.”

Kalliste’s veins turned grey with her own agility magic. She licked her lips, “Let’s show them who is the strongest.”