Elzio stood before the gates of Pyrthet, a silver flag in hand. He had initially told Echo that he should go alone. He told her it would be risky.

At this she laughed. She laughed in a way she had never laughed before. Both amused at the foolishness and, strangely, touched by the sentiment. She laughed that a mortal human—one vulnerable to such things as arrows and swords, even rocks and sticks—would attempt to shield her, a being of pure energy. Mortals could not hurt her. They could hurt Elzio, but never her. Only the Pyrthet Nexus could cause her damage, and only through the methods of combat.

Begrudgingly, he acquiesced. Naturally, having been raised his whole life to defend a nexus, it must be strange to him, being told his protection was not needed. It must have been stranger still for him to stand behind a level 1 being, him an order of multitude more powerful, yet as assailable as a lone farm on an open field. Still, her aura bathed him in increased stats, and he went forth without fear, despite the apparent vulnerability.

It was standing in this way, silver banner waving high, that he issued his challenge.

“Directors of Pyrthet, I come before you to issue a notice of battle to Loreth, once grand champion of Pyrthet, now a malignant entity of stagnation. I issue a notice of battle to the denizens within the city who would see its citizens fight and die to uphold a sham of an order. I issue a notice of battle to Sir Thomas Kerien for the lies he has spread and the falsehoods he has wrought. For treachery and treason. My challenge falls before the aforementioned defendants. How do you respond?”

It was a well-spoken challenge. Well rehearsed but not seeming staged. He knew the ways of speechcraft. He had been trained by these people well.

For many minutes, no response came forth. This was a potential path the two had discussed. The challenged nexus never has to verbally respond. The Pyrthet Nexus could not back down from a challenge, of course, not with the level gap between the two being what it was, but he did not need to issue back any speech.

Echo did not expect one, but Elzio said such human traits as ego and bravado may spur one. They were interesting concepts, ones that Echo could technically understand. She could comprehend the desire to defend one’s reputation, though perhaps not at personal risk. Still, humans just felt these things stronger.

“Elzio!” The response was called from high atop the Citadel, an old man’s voice magically amplified. “Why do you betray us so? Have we not raised you? Taught you? Fed and clothed and trained you? Are we not your family, and you ours? Does loyalty mean nothing to you?”

This was, Echo thought, what Elzio wanted. A chance to speak back as self righteously as possible.

“Yes, Sir Thomas, the people of Pyrthet have done all these things.” His eyes were narrow slits, burning with fire as his voice remained collected, flat as a knife’s blade. “For those that taught me the ways of the world, of combat, of magic, of tactics, I am forever grateful. However, for those who would sell us out to the scum of Deluuth, I feel nothing but contempt.”

A silence again met his words, one much longer than the first. Elzio did seem almost content with the response. He turned to Echo after three long minutes.

“They’re trying to explain to those listening why I’m lying.” His voice was a whisper that quivered with emotions, rage and excitement. “Trying to explain why I’d abandon everything, glory, fame, victory, for you. A reason that manages to fully wash away my accusations.”

‘So your strategy is to seem absurd enough that your words must be nothing but truth?’ Echo asked.

He laughed. “Do I seem absurd to you?”

‘Your actions.’

But maybe he was right. The best strategizer they had ever trained now stood before the city and screamed wild theories on the purported evilness of those within. What else could cause such a thing?

“We should go,” he said, after another few minutes. “They’ve heard us. The battle commences at sundown, so we have no more than an hour to prepare our minds.”

Echo nodded in the way she had come to know Elzio would interpret. An intensity to her glow and a brief bob in the air. He smiled, already recognizing the familiar gesture, and the two turned to leave, heading back into the forest. There was technically nothinig left to plan—the two had covered as many hypotheticals as they could imagine—but Echo knew both would feel better were they to give the battle plans one last look.

Then it would be time to fight.

--

The wind smells different inside an arena. Something about how the air is created, how it’s propelled through the pocket dimension—it feels unnatural. Too electric, too dynamic, too clear. It’s thrilling and exhilarating, and for once, Elzio felt properly terrified by it. For once, as he inhaled his first breath, a chill ran down his spine. He had to play this right. Absolutely right. There would be no space for second chances, no slack that could absorb a poor call. He had one shot at everything, and everything he attempted had to be the most optimal strategy, or they would both die.

His eyes snapped open, and he squinted into the indirect sunlight of the brightly lit forest that surrounded Echo’s base. The base itself was modest, visually unassuming, a small cobblestone circle at the edge of the world. Behind them, the customary walls protected the corner in which she hovered, forcing opponents to approach from in front of her. She sat in a glistening chamber, a glowing orb of silver light that powered their entire half of the arena. In Elzio’s veins, her power surged, buffing his active and passive attributes, replenishing his mana and health reserves beyond what they could ever achieve back on the ground.

After another second, he felt the lingering swirls of magic fully form around him, completing his physical shape within the pocket realm.

Elzio Shilon: Level 9 Summoner Strength: 14+2 (nexus buff) Intelligence: 24+4 (nexus buff) Agility: 17+2 (nexus buff) Fortitude: 12+2 (nexus buff) Hit Points: 250+50 (nexus buff) Endurance: 300+50 (nexus buff) Mana: 550+50 (nexus buff) Speed: 170+20 (nexus buff) Magical Force: 140+40 (nexus buff) Physical Force: 90+20 (nexus buff) Magical Resistance: 36+6 (nexus buff) Physical Resistance: 26+4 (nexus buff) Spells: Summon Doppelganger Level 1: Physical copy, cannot move, 10 hit points, no stats, vanishes upon death — 80 mana, 20 second cooldown, concentration (20 mana) Level 2: Physical copy, can be puppeted, has 10% stats, remains upon death as long as the spell is refreshed — 125 mana, 25 second cooldown, concentration (31.25 mana) Level 3: Copy, can be ordered, has 30% stats, remains upon death as long as the spell is refreshed — 160 mana, 30 second cooldown, concentration (40 mana) Level 4: Battle copy, can be ordered, has 50% stats, can cast abilities below doppel level, retains visual traits of the original (assuming known), remains upon death as long as the spell is refreshed — 200 mana, 35 second cooldown, concentration (50 mana) Level 5: Battle copy, can be ordered, has 60% stats, retains 25% of buffs, can cast abilities below doppel level, retains visual traits, remains upon death as long as the spell is refreshed — 300 mana, 40 second cooldown, concentration (75 mana) Level 6: Battle copy, can be ordered, has 65% stats, can equip items, retains 30% of buffs, can cast abilities at half doppel level, retains visual traits, remains upon death as long as the spell is cast — 380 mana, 45 second cooldown, concentration (95 mana) Teleport Doppelganger Level 1: Move doppel 30 feet in any direction. Will sustain fall damage — 75 mana, 15 second cooldown Level 2: Move doppel 50 feet in any direction. Will sustain fall damage — 100 mana, 20 second cooldown Level 3: Move doppel 60 feet in any direction. Will sustain 50% fall damage — 125 mana, 23 second cooldown. Invisibility Level 1: Hides user while staying still, vanishes if abilities are used — 40 mana, 15 second cooldown, concentration (5 mana)

~~~

He could do this.

With a glance, he eyed his map. It showed the basic layout of both halves of the arena without giving away any specific additions with the Hidden modifier. Then he flicked his gaze to pull up his enemies’ stats. Nothing surprising for the three he knew, but they weren’t what he’d come to check.

Peter Carlon: Level 3 Fighter Strength: 14 Intelligence: 10 Agility: 12 Fortitude: 13 Hit Points: 375 Endurance: 300 Mana: 200 Speed: 110 Magical Force: 50 Physical Force: 90 Magical Resistance: 10 Physical Resistance: 14

Any other stats Elzio wanted to see would come once he actually viewed the new hero. He hadn’t known Peter particularly well back at the academy. The man was in a different level, a trained backup hero, one who had failed enough tests to not be a main contender for an actual team but was a leveled fighter and therefore kept around.

Peter would get out of this fine. Elzio wasn’t too concerned by this development.

Part of Elzio wanted to leave Echo with some parting words before leaving her base, but there was nothing really to say. They’d been over it all. It was time to go.

He grabbed his wards, potions, and mana charm before hurrying from the base. Maybe someday he would serve a nexus of high enough level to allow him to summon a mount, but no teams were close to reaching that, so he would have to rely on leg power. The waterfall was closest, so he’d head there first. His opponents would take some time to set up, and they also had to reach the hiding spot. Only Bereth had a decently leveled agility, which meant that Kia moved slower than Elzio.

As he ran, he pulled up her stats.

Kia Dilen: Level 7 Armorsmith Strength: 17 Intelligence: 17 Agility: 13 Fortitude: 14 Hit Points: 300 Endurance: 375 Mana: 375 Speed: 130 Magical Force: 120 Physical Force: 90 Magical Resistance: 31 Physical Resistance: 31

Assuming her nexus buff gave her the standard aura he’d initially planned, it’d add a standard +3 to all stats, so she would run at a speed of 160 units per minute. She may have been closer to the waterfall, but he’d get there faster. Not by much, but by enough.

The slowing field for the minions is taking effect, Echo reported. No sign of enemy yet.

Binding with Echo had definitely been the right call. It had never bothered Elzio before, not having communication with Loreth of any sense, but now he was realizing just how useful it could be. Usually a nexus would bind to a higher-up official, an advisor, someone political, but for Elzio, the binding was a hidden tactical stroke of genius. A nexus had access to all kinds of information on the arena, the status of minions, health of structures, death timers for the team. She also had the same copy of the map Elzio did, which meant instead of keeping a constant eye and split attention on the map, he could rely on Echo to note any times during which an enemy hero crossed into her own vision. After all, she was basically a spectator who had nothing more to do than watch every inch of unobscured terrain.

Keep me posted if you see any of the enemy heroes cross our vision, he said as he continued running.

There were multiple routes to the waterfall, some more direct than others, but he had to take a particularly winding one through the forest. All of the shortest routes involved crossing a major road, the likes that would have minions and structures on them. Elzio couldn’t risk being spotted, so he just wound through the woods, hoping the enemy team had engaged in one of their pre-battle pep talks, the kind that drove him insane.

He fought the urge to plant a ward too close to his base as he ran through the forest. No one would make it that close in eight minutes, so while the self-preservation-focused part of his mind screamed to defend his base, he struck out further and further until he was closing in on the waterfall. The quiet cascades muted any sound from within, so Elzio wouldn’t be able to detect Kia just by listening. Fine, he could handle this. He took a deep breath before turning invisible and summoning a level 6 doppelganger of Bereth.

The doppel appeared, and as its summoner, Elzio could feel the power emanating off of it. Kia wouldn’t though. She’d just think it was her fighter coming to get his weapons. Kia lacked a degree of time keeping when she got absorbed in her work, so Elzio hoped she wouldn’t notice Bereth was early.

Then Elzio himself leaned up against a tree and cast invisibility, before letting himself slip inside the eyes of his doppel.

Step by step he grew closer to the waterfall, heart in his throat as he prepared himself to be disappointed. Would Kia be here? Would she be in the tree? Had they created an entirely new hiding place Elzio didn’t expect? Two out of three options pointing at ‘elsewhere’ meant he wouldn’t likely find her, so he wasn’t expecting to slip beneath the pouring deluge to find the woman toiling away at her arrows.

“Oh!” The word that slipped from the doppel’s lips was Elzio’s, even if the voice was Bereth's, and Kia jumped hearing it.

“Oh! Oh I’m sorry. I’m not quite ready. I just need to bind the enchantment.” She bit her lips anxiously, and for a moment, Elzio considered trying to fish information from her. After all, she did think he was her ally. But as she bent over to grab her supplies, he thought better of it. A slipup here could risk more information being shared than he could afford. Couldn’t risk the others finding out what happened here.

Kia needed to die. Now.