Called up to the arena after Boar House, Gregory and his wives waved to the crowd. They received mixed reactions— loud boos and cheers filled the air. When they got to the middle of the arena, Gregory reached up and attached the dangling end of his mask to his helm, covering his lower face with a snarling dragon’s mouth.
Stallo wore a full set of metal armor, and was almost as heavily armored as Gregory. Both Brian, the earth mage, and Westley, the water mage, wore breastplates with arm guards. Brian had a shield to go with his hammer while Westley had a spiked whip. Stallo carried his maul nonchalantly, as his strength made handling the weapon simple.
“The rules from the first fights remain,” the announcer told them. “You are allowed to use the enchantments of your armor and any other single piece. If anyone thinks you’ve used more, it will be checked after the fight. If it is found that you did, your clan or house will be removed from the tournament. Any questions?”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to inform the referees about our enchantments before we fight?” Gregory asked.
“Not afraid of the others finding out, even if you don’t use it?” the announcer asked.
“If they want to cheat, that would be up to them, sir,” Gregory replied.
“None of our houses would. We aren’t Asp House,” Brian said.
Westley slapped Brian in the back of the head. “Shut up, idiot!”
Brian glared at him before his eyes went wide and he glanced at the archmage. “T-that is… uh…” Brian started to stammer.
“We’ve all said ill-advised things in our life,” Jenn chuckled. “Just be glad he’s over there.”
“Any other questions?” the announcer asked. When no one said anything, he nodded. “Bow to your opponents. Be ready to begin when I call for it. Remember, the referees can stop a fight to indicate a loss of limb or life.”
All six bowed in accordance with their country of origin. The announcer backed all the way up to the Buldoun waiting area’s door. As he did, Gregory and his wives separated— Yukiko sprinted for the rear where she could get the most shadows. Jenn sprinted right, and Gregory moved slightly to the left.
“What? We haven’t started yet,” Brian said.
“Positioning before the fight is allowed,” Sasha said loudly enough for the mages to hear over the confused crowd. “No one said you had to start right next to each other.”
Brian and Westley started to back well away from Jenn and Gregory while staying in the sun. Stallo just grinned, hefting his maul and staring at Gregory. “Been looking forward to another fight with you.”
Gregory scowled, as his wives had said it gave him a sinister appearance with the mask covering his face. He took the first stance of the naginata and set his feet. That was when he kicked on foresight, looking two seconds into the future.
“Fight!” the announcer yelled.
Yukiko vanished from where she’d been, and Jenn blurred at the two mages who’d backed away. Stallo rushed Gregory, his maul drawn back to crush him.
Brian clasped a necklace and a dome of earth covered both him and Westley. As the dome closed over them, Westley thrust his hand out, then yanked it skyward. The arena floor suddenly had an inch of water covering it, turning the field into a mud pit.
Jenn’s rush slowed a little, having to adjust from full speed to partial strength to counter the mud. With the two mages covered by earth, she pivoted and headed for Stallo. If they could take him out quickly, the other two would have serious problems.
Stallo was seemingly unaffected by the mud as his whole body blazed with aether. Gregory just smiled and waited for the physical enhancement mage to reach him. Stallo could sense a trap, but he didn’t know what it was until he slammed into an aether barrier. The barrier shattered, and he staggered from the unexpected collision.
Gregory’s naginata blurred as he struck time and again at the off-balance fighter. Another aether barrier covered Stallo, protecting him from the strikes. Gregory leapt back just as Stallo whipped the maul around to hit him.
The ground ahead of Jenn vanished and she started to fall into an unseen pit, but she leapt forward, using the aether barrier underneath her feet. When her foot touched down next, she felt the earth shifting again, and she launched herself forward with everything she had.
Gregory kept his balance as Jenn tried gaining distance with the unstable footing. That’s it… come on… chase me, Gregory thought as he watched the future.
Stallo regained his balance, then rushed Gregory again. He spun, as Jenn was nearly on top of him. Jenn didn’t try to block the maul— she dodged under it before flipping up and over another pit that appeared. Stallo shouted out, as the pit stopped him from getting to Jenn. He backed away now that Jenn and Gregory were coming after him.
The smart people in the crowd realized that Yukiko hadn’t made an appearance since her vanishing act, starting up conjecture as to where she could’ve gone. That was when a dozen earth spikes shot up around the earth dome— no one had seen anything near the dome to explain why, but one of the spikes had a bloody tip.
A moment later, the earth barrier collapsed and both Brian and Westley held their hands up. Yukiko stood behind them, clearly favoring her leg as her right hip had been punctured. Staying where she was, Yukiko began gathering the shadows under Stallo to slow or hinder him.
Stallo was wholly focused on Jenn and Gregory, having to work hard to defend against the pair. He’d never had a fight as intense as the one before him, and he was grinning wildly as he fought.
Jenn misstepped in the mud. Her right foot slid an inch, breaking her balance. Stallo jumped on that opportunity, bringing his maul around fast. Jenn’s whole body was coated in aether flame as she crossed both of her arms in front of the maul. The hit launched her a dozen feet through the air, but neither referee went to call her out. They both knew that a near-fully reinforced physical mage could take a few of those hits.
Gregory wove around the maul with his naginata, letting it slash across Stallo three times. Stallo used his barrier to take the attacks as he spun on Gregory. Gregory bent and twisted, evading as he slowly moved around Stallo.
Stallo turned with him until he suddenly couldn’t, legs now entangled. With a grunt and surge of aether, he tried to pull free, but Gregory attacked him over and over. The barrier came back, but vanished just before the last attack, letting Gregory land an attack just under Stallo’s chin.
That staggered Stallo back— Jenn was there, and she used her small blades to hit the gaps in the joints of Stallo’s armor. He kicked at her, but she dodged it with ease. Gregory was there a second later, his naginata joining in.
Stallo did his best, but after a couple of seconds of being hit and being unable to get a clean hit back, Sasha called the fight to an end. Stallo screamed in anger, dropping his maul. He couldn’t argue with their ruling— he knew that if the weapons had been real, he’d have run out of aether trying to keep his body reinforced against steel.
Gregory stuck the naginata in the ground, staring at the angry mage. “You are a wall.” With clear formality, he bowed first as a magi, then as a mage to the other man.
Stallo exhaled slowly before snorting. “I could’ve had you if not for your wives.”
“Very likely,” Gregory agreed.
Stallo bowed at the waist, then attempted the empire bow. “Thank you. That fight made me happy for a brief moment.”
“Us, too,” Jenn grinned.
Yukiko came limping their way. “Earth spikes got me before I found their viewing slit.”
“Is it bad?” Gregory asked, going to her side.
“No. I’ll be healed after about a minute.”
“Not like any of my house is seriously injured,” Stallo snorted. “Wait… are they?” He turned to find his fellow mages.
“I was humane. I slit their throats,” Yukiko smiled.
Stallo stared at her, then started laughing. “You married a dangerous woman.”
“Two of them,” Gregory said.
“Indeed. You’re a far braver man than I am.”
The announcer came out to call Aether’s Guard as the winners. The crowd was very mixed on the announcement, even when he explained how Yukiko dispatched the two mages inside the earth dome.
Stallo didn’t go to leave while the announcer talked. “I’ve heard a rumor… have you been inviting the other two houses over to dinner and play games?”
“We have,” Yukiko replied. “We met Wolf House in the city and kept running into them. We struck up a conversation, and that turned into a friendship.”
“Eagle House kept finding us in the bazaar here,” Jenn said. “Same thing with them.”
“Ah. So you aren’t excluding my house for some reason?”
“No,” Gregory said. “We just never seemed to bump into you.”
“That would have been our chaperone,” Stallo grunted. “He’s been keeping us in the encampment the entire time. It’s been frustrating.”
“The archmage has approved the meetings, as has our sage,” Yukiko said. “You should come over tonight. Ah, but warn Eagle House. They’ve been bringing the food.”
“I will try,” Stallo exhaled. “I’ll play the archmage card if need be. If we aren’t allowed to, I appreciate the thought.” Stallo bowed again, then walked away as the announcer left the floor.
“We have friends coming over for dinner and need to clean up,” Jenn said. “All healed now?”
“Yes. Let’s go,” Yukiko smiled.
When Gregory went to follow them, his eyes drifted to the stands. He saw the archmage studying him intently. A chill went down his spine, as the old man didn’t look exactly friendly.
