Why would warriors raise their swords?

For love? For money? To achieve some type of inner satisfaction?

Or just for the pleasure of being a reaper, ending someone else's life?

Tell me, soldier: Why do you raise your sword?

Rachel Bolstein - Emissary of the Unbelievers

*

Armenvald had given the order and the test started.

Arthur looks around. There is no cover or a place to hide – only clean terrain. Since they entered the arena, that was the first problem that occurred to him. After all, he learned from Guinevere that he needed time to focus and gather energy, meaning that he could not immediately engage in combat.

“I hope she doesn’t mind if I cheat.” He thinks. Since he realized he would not have the time nor a place to hide, he started to focus on the energy around him, anticipating the “recognition” of the place, so he would not have to do that later. That is why, when Armenvald announced the beginning of the test, Arthur did not have to do as much preparations as usual.

Thiago also takes action. He raises one hand and makes a flourish towards his opponent. Flames leapt from his fingertips, forcing Arthur to dodge and jump to the side, running and trying to close the distance between them.

The flames burn the ground, but quickly disappear, since it would require more magical energy from Thiago to keep them burning. The warrior, aware of such fact, moves quickly, preventing Arthur’s approach.

“You are not going to take my energy.” He thinks, gritting his teeth. “We are opposites. Your concern, right now, must be to collect magic, because you start the battle with just the energy you managed to keep from previous occasions.”

Thiago steps back, launching new flames at Arthur and gaining some distance.

“On the other hand, I am constantly producing magical energy. My best opportunity here is at the start of the battle. I need to get this over quickly, before he has any real chances of defeating me.”

With such thoughts on his mind, Thiago moves forward, immediately eliminating the distance between them. The move takes Arthur by surprise and he needs to jump to the side in order to avoid being hit by a kick delivered by the opponent.

Without enough balance, Arthur stumbles away from Thiago, trying not to fall down.

“I haven’t gathered enough energy. I need-”

Arthur’s thoughts are interrupted by another strike – this time, a punch – that does not hit him, but forces him to take another step back.

Thiago smiles.

“I did it."

He makes a movement forward, showing his palms, and, with both arms, he imitates the gesture of pushing something invisible forward. Arthur does not have time to ask what that is before being thrown backwards by a column of wind.

The boy falls on his back, tearing his shirt in the ground and superficially hurting the skin. The injury scares him and the sudden adrenalines awaken his mind.

This is a serious fight. And he has to give an answer to his opponent’s actions.

Clenching his fists, Arthur quickly gets up. Focused, he does not try to hide the action of gathering energy from the surroundings.

“Guinevere won’t like it, but I can’t risk losing because I am holding back.”

He walks forward with determination. His teacher had asked him to try and fight without ‘stealing’ energy with too much intensity – in order to simulate a real battle, where he would try to hide his skills as much as possible – but he entirely abandons such plan.

“Is he trying to pick up the pace?” Thiago wonders after noticing that his magic is being taken. “Well, this is still good. A fast battle is the best type for me.”

The soldier starts to run towards the opponent, covering his fists with magical energy and reinforcing his body structure for a close combat.

Arthur, realizing that the other is not going to avoid a fight at close range, and, also, aware that he has enough energy to try something, closes his eyes for a moment before going entering Thiago’s ‘range’. It is a fast gesture, but it is what he needs to form the necessary ‘mental image’.

When Thiago tries to punch Arthur, the boy has his eyes open again, with enough time to dodge. However, the soldier still has tricks upon his sleeves, and the punch uses wind in his favor as his fists pushes wind forward, extending his reach. Arthur is pushed back, but, now, he was prepared and able to use his own palms and magic to push Thiago back.

They take a second to recover before facing each other again. Thiago makes a gesture with the back of his hand, creating a whip made out of electricity. The tip of the weapon approaches the opponent’s face as he deflects it and takes a step forward.

The adrenaline prevents Arthur from focusing on the electric whip – otherwise, he would not have tried to cut off the distance between them and, moved by fear, would probably retreat. But, now, all he can do is to cultivate his mental image and open his palms.

Spheres of light advance towards Thiago, who uses the whip to lash over the spheres form a distance. Upon contact, the spheres explode. The shock of such explosions would not be enough to kill him, however, it is evident that the contact would hurt a lot.

Feeling his energy taken by Arthur and the burden of having to continually use magic, Thiago realizes that he won’t be able to fight much longer. As a response to that thought, the soldier realizes that his body has started to shake.

“No. Not yet.” He thinks, aware that Rinlia would do something if she realized that he was losing control.

Anxious, and hoping to end the test fast, Thiago launches himself forward, swinging the whip in order to explode the spheres ahead of him.

Once he can close the distance, the soldier shakes his hand and the whip turns into a dagger. He has his sword, but using a traditional weapon would be bad for the purposes of such test.

“One strike should be enough. I can do it.”

His hand trembles, but his gaze does not waver.

That is why he can clearly see Arthur’s smile.

“It worked.” Arthur thinks when he sees the soldier approaching from a low height, dodging the spheres that he did not need to ‘disarm’. When the soldier is close, the boy takes a step backwards, creating, with a quick gesture, another sphere between them.

The image takes Thiago by surprise, since he had never seen magic being created with such quickly movements before.

“I underestimated him.”

Thiago has no time to dodge or to avoid contact. The sphere was launched in his direction and inevitably collides with his body. Upon contact, it explodes, shredding his chainmail, throwing his body back, and, for an instant, his conscience disappears.

*

At Fiandel’s gates, the female image of a foreigner argues with the guards in a calmly but precise way. And, although her manners and presence show signs of her proficiency in battle, her way of sitting at the interrogation table, the way she deals with soldiers and the way she talks to those in charge make it clear that she is not a commoner, but someone used to the high circles in society.

-We will deliver a message. – The captain of the capital’s guard tells her. – However, until we can confirm your allegations, I will have to ask you to wait at our accommodations.

-How much will I have to wait? Rinlia will certainly respond to my call without delay.

-At the moment, the commander is in the middle of an assignment. My soldiers will talk to her as soon as possible.

-All right, soldier. Show me where I am supposed to stay. But don’t forget to tell her that I am acquaintance. Be sure to tell her my name, so she doesn’t get confused: My name is Nafaester Henco.

*

After the blast sent Thiago to the ground, his head hits a stone and the green eyes of the brown-haired boy open as much as possible.

How long since he had been hit so directly? With magic in such a pure form?

Certainly not recently.

When was it? Where was he? What happened?

“What is happening now?”

Thiago’s hands are shaking. The magic refuses to react to his will. Pain and fear take over the mind as he tries to get up, bringing thoughts and images from a past he tried to bury deep in his mind.

The ghosts, however, come out of their graves.

Now, there is not a test, an opponent or an arena. Just magic, flesh, bones and blood.

He gets up and throws his body forward, with bare hands. His eyes are wide.

-Was it you? – He asks, but no one would be able to hear his whispers. – Did you kill them?

His hands get covered with lightning magic. The ground in front of him burns out even before his feet touch the earth. His speed reflects the rigorous training Rinlia had subject him since they arrived at the citadel.

In a matter of seconds, the distance between Thiago and Arthur disappears. There is just lightning and a small, distorted space, affected by the unfinished magic that Arthur’s mind tried to create.

Thiago’s eyes distract Arthur. It is the first time that such expression, with such intensity, is used by someone who attacks him. Neither in prison, nor in the forest or anywhere else did he have to deal with that kind of expression.

Thiago, at that moment, hates Arthur. And his eyes convey such feeling with frightening transparency. The soldier moves forward, not with the intention of fighting or testing his magic, but with killing intent. At that moment, Arthur’s survival instinct screams in his mind, begging him to step back.

And, at first, his intention is to obey his instincts, however, there is no time. Thiago is faster and his hand reaches out, instantly casting rays in the form of multiple whips as he clenches his teeth and allows the whips to create and launch small rays in different directions, trying, at all costs, to reach Arthur’s body.

-Why is nobody interrupting this test? – Galaaz turns to Rinlia. – At this rate, that boy will run out of magic. He’s almost in a state of Berserk, Rinlia. The effects-

-The decision must be made by the examiner. To interrupt the battle now would conflict with the royal decision. – The elf, with sweat breaking out on her forehead, and with clenched fists, indicates the place where the royals are seated.

Yvanna, seated next to the prince, squeezes her fiancé’s hand, but he does not take action. He just looks at Armenvald.

It is clear that the magician is the one who decides which lines could or could not be crossed in this battle.

Meanwhile, Arthur, in the arena, tries to retreat.

-I am not finished! – Thiago throws his hand forward, launching more rays in his direction. – You were there, weren’t you?

Thiago infuses his hand with more magic, accelerating the creation of a new whip. Arthur does not have enough time to dodge and is grabbed by the neck. The whip burns his flesh, and, although he places his hands over the region, he is unable to immediately dissipate the magic energy.

Thiago feeds the whip with all his magic, aware that it is being absorbed by the opponent. And, although his battle instinct reacts to Arthur’s incorporeal magic, his mind still associates it with all other kinds of magic, and that remembers him of the past.

-It was magic that killed them. It killed everyone! It is this magic that brough war and it killed everyone. Were you there? Answer me!

Arthur, feeling the increasing pressure on his neck, struggles with all his strength and, with his whole body, tries to absorb the energy from Thiago’s body. He shakes his hand and creates magic spheres, determined to launch them over the opponent.

-If you do that, he will die. – Armenvald is suddenly next to Arthur, whispering to him. – Are you going to do such a thing?

-Help… Me… - Arthur, suffocating, is able to mumble.

-Nobody will help you in a battle. You need to make decisions or create ways to win. Each one carries its own consequences. – The magician takes a step to the side. Thiago doesn’t even seem to see Armenvald. His eyes are fixated on Arthur.

Arthur moves his own eyes, searching for someone who could help him. He finds Rinlia, Galaaz and Guinevere, but they are not moving. He is not sure, but he thinks another ally is close, although its presence is discreet and he knows that he cannot count on that help.

His hands are placed over the electrical whip. He takes all the energy he can, feeling his own conscience getting weaker.

-I… I didn’t kill… Nobody…

Arthur does not want to give up.

He extends his hand.

-Please… Thiago…

The ocher-colored eyes blink and the body feel the lack of magic energy. Thiago feels that he is going to faint even before his body starts to fall.

"Arthur?" He thinks, as he identifies the face in front of him. "I... What am I doing to you?"

The mind weakens. Thiago would not be able to say for sure whether he freed Arthur's neck out of his own volition or because his strength had depleted.

As his eyes close, the only thing he knows for sure is that the test was finished.

*

*