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I was too late. Tadashii’s anguished groan cut through me.
Pyrros lay atop the struggling form of my friend, crushing the life out of him. Rage boiled through me, escaping my lips as an unintelligible howl. I charged at the two warriors still wrestling on the ground. Drawing on my power, I focused it into an immense fist of arcana and leveled it at Pyrros.
The blast of energy hit him like a freight train on speed. A wave of power blossomed from his armor as it tried in vain to absorb the blow.
Enchanted steel might have saved his life, but the impact still knocked him clear of Tadashii. Pyrros bounced once on the smooth stone of the causeway before being carried over the edge, his cries of rage following him all the way down to the water beneath.
Racing to the edge of the platform, I stared down into the lapping black waves. There was a disturbance where he had broken the surface but there was no sight of him. I didn’t like his chances. Swimming with only one good leg would be trying enough without the merpeople who would doubtless try to murder him.
It was no worse than he deserved.
I trudged back to Tadashii’s side, my shoulders sagging as I sank to the ground beside him. I had failed.
Tadashii had pulled off his mempo and blood was trickling out of the corner of his mouth. Pyrros’ blade was still lodged in his chest, and that close to his heart it was a mortal wound. I was surprised to find him still breathing. There was nothing I could do for him.
Tadashii reached for me, and I took his hand.
“Easy, I’ve got you.”
A thin smile crossed his lips.
“A lion’s end.” He gasped as he tried to rise. “Find...”
His brow was furrowed, and the strain of each word showed in the taut muscles of his face. He didn’t need to say it, though. I knew what he wanted.
“I will find your daughter, I promise.”
Tadashii sank back against the stone, the rain beating a staccato rhythm on his armor. He gripped my arm tight and pulled me close.
I could feel his labored breath against my ear as he whispered, “Show me.”
Lifting my head, I shook it. “I don’t understand.”
“Show an old man a new trick.”
My mind raced back to the day we met. It was only yesterday and yet it felt like an eternity ago. We had feasted together in Ares’ hall as we’d prepared to meet our death in the Trial. As I thought of our conversation, I knew what he wanted.
Magic. True magic, not an illusion or a stage trick. Tadashii wanted to see a wizard work.
A tear ran down my cheek as I understood his last wish.
I could do that for him.
Looking around, I searched for other champions. I would be telling everyone exactly where I was, but I didn’t care. If they came for me, so be it. I placed Tadashii’s hands on his chest and held my hand above them, palm upward facing the heavens.
I whispered a word of power and a wisp flickered to life above my hand. The wisp turned and flickered, growing as it moved until a ball of fire hovered a foot and half over his chest. Rain hissed as is struck the inferno, but the flame was undiminished as I poured my will into it.
Wonder gleamed in his eyes as the fireball broiled and flared like a miniature sun. Then, with a flick of my wrist, I sent it sailing into the air above us, pouring energy into it as it went.
The fiery evocation grew as it ascended, racing skyward like a shooting star until I brought a lightning bolt sailing into it.
The spells collided in a dazzling flash of light that left trailing streaks of flames descending like a fountain that rained fire.
“Hanabi,“ Tadashii whispered.
As the flame trails descended, I looked down at my friend. His eyes were closed but a broad smile graced his lips. I checked his pulse, but I already knew the truth. Tadashii was gone, and I felt his loss in my soul. Not because he was gone, but because of how he had died. Other champions had come here to win; Tadashii had come to die, not for the amusement of others, but for his daughter.
I knelt in silent witness of his sacrifice as the sky overhead was filled with a rushing wind. At first, I thought the storm was growing in intensity but the sound of wings beating above me grew clearer by the moment.
Each powerful stroke was audible as a figure descended gracefully through the storm-tossed sky. Once the being was mere feet above the stone, her wings snapped outward, arresting her descent.
Rain bounced off my cheeks as I looked up and found Estrid the Valkyrie standing over me. Her immense set of silver white wings seemed to shine with an inner light. How had I never seen them before? I knew I should have been moving, but I was transfixed by her majesty. In one hand, she held a silver spear, its haft resting against the stone.
Why wasn’t she attacking me? She had me dead to rights. I’d be dead before I managed to rise to my feet.
“Do it quickly,” I muttered, bowing my head. “I grow weary of this place.”
“I am not here for you, Seth. I never was,” Estrid replied, drawing closer.
“Then you are too late,” I replied, looking down at Tadashii. “He is already dead.”
“It was a hero’s death, but for him it is only the beginning.”
Estrid slammed her spear into the stone. Tadashii’s armor fell from his body, steel clanging against the stone, leaving Tadashii wearing nothing but his undergarments.
The Valkyrie slung her spear over her shoulder where it hung from a leather thong. Crouching down, she reached underneath Tadashii, one arm under his neck and the other under his knees, and as if he weighed nothing at all, she scooped him up and rose to her feet.
“Your battle isn’t over, Seth. You must press on, quickly. There is too much at stake.”
Before I could utter a word in reply, Estrid’s wings snapped out and with a steady beat carried her into the air. The Valkyrie and her precious cargo vanished through the clouds and were gone, leaving me alone once more, surrounded by what was left of Hachiman’s gift to Tadashii.
I supposed he had no need for it now. I considered putting it on. Hell, I could use a little pep in my step, but I had no idea how it functioned and couldn’t afford to spend time piling on what could very well end up being dead-weight for me.
I looked about and found his sword resting on the stone behind me. Picking it up, I slid it back into its saya and was about to set it down by the armor when I remembered my promise to Tadashii. His daughter would have the means to defend herself. I would do everything in my power, but the blade would do more than I ever could. Providing I could survive long enough to get it to her.
I slid the saya through my belt and turned my attention back to the towering peak before me.
I had two choices. I could swim for it, or I could race for the nearest bridge. I’d tried the freezing water once, and had more than enough of Poseidon’s minions, so I ran along the stone causeway, making for the bridge as fast as my legs could carry me.
As I moved, my eyes kept roaming back to the water. I would be less of a target there, and the water was certainly the most direct course to my goal, but I’d already dabbled with it once and almost drowned in the process. Besides, Azura’s warning rang in my ears. I’d spared his life; he had little reason to lie to me. If he was telling me to stay out of the water, it likely meant that Poseidon had other even less pleasant minions waiting for me there.
The bridge was my best bet, exposed though it might be. The main problem was that other champions would likely opt for a similar course and there were only four. Lycus and Pyrros were dead, and so was Tadashii, but there were still plenty of other competitors vying for the final four places in tomorrow’s challenge. A gift from the gods waited for the victor, and I only had to survive this insanity to get it and go home. Of course, it wasn’t just about me anymore. I needed to win so that I could tell Tadashii’s daughter what had happened to her father and keep my promise.
My boots squeaked and sloshed as I ran, but the rain bothered me less now. I was so thoroughly drenched it didn’t really matter. If anything, it at least served to dilute the sweat. Hypothermia seemed a distinct possibility but if I could make it back, perhaps Yolanda could do something about that.
Every step brought me closer to the peak but also directly into the path of other champions. If I considered Atlantis, the city of Poseidon, to be the north point of the arena and I had started in front of it, then I was approaching the southeast quadrant and any champions who might remain there.
I scoured the rocky outcroppings leading to the causeway to my left. My eyes were drawn by a blur of motion. It seemed to come out of nowhere. A figure clad in brown and gold armor raced toward me at dizzying speed.
I’d been so intent on avoiding the Reoánaighsidhe that I hadn’t considered his enemy, the Summer Champion, the Samhradhsidhe who was still alive and well. The Summer Champion drew a curved crescent blade as he leapt from stone to stone. He was nimble like a gazelle and his golden sword flashed as lightning from overhead reflected along its length.
“No, no, no,” I muttered, “I’ve had just about enough of this.”
I reached into my pouch, drew out a flashbang, pulled the pin, and hurled it at the Samhradhsidhe.
Sidhe were creatures of magic, and graceful warriors. I didn’t fancy my chances against him in single combat or with the arcane. So I figured I would try something a little more mundane that could still pack a hell of a punch.
The flashbang arced through the air. The Sidhe warrior’s eyes tracked it as it sailed toward him.
I covered my ears and whispered, “Silencio.”
It was a wish and a prayer that my spell would muffle the 17,000-decibel blast of the flashbang and not leave me deaf and blind, as I turned away from the blast. It was a gamble, but I couldn’t both watch the Sidhe warrior and keep from being temporarily blinded by the flashbang.
The concussive wave buffeted me and I dropped my hands, the sound of the storm filling my ears once more.
Looking to my foe, I found the Sidhe rubbing furiously at his eyes, muttering something I couldn’t understand. I started running but made it less than a dozen paces before the Sidhe managed to regain his senses. It was far less than I’d hoped for and the loping strides of the Sidhe champion closed the gap quickly.
The Sidhe hopped from stone to stone without slowing. Running out of choices, I drew my sidearm from its holster at my waist. Sure, it had spent some time beneath the waves, but I was confident it would still fire. Even one round in the right place could make a difference. Hitting the lithe Sidhe would be the trouble. The Samhradhsidhe took three steps across the rocky outcropping he landed on before launching himself at the next.
As he bounded over the stretch of ocean, a flash of green broke through the surface of the water. It cleared the water like a dolphin. Only it wasn’t a dolphin, and it was clad in green armor and wielding a trident. I recognized Azura as he plunged the trident into the unsuspecting Sidhe’s calf.
The Samhradhsidhe shrieked, while driving an armored boot into the merman to dislodge him. Azura retreated, yanking on his trident, bringing another howl of rage from the Sidhe as blood fountained from the wound. The Samhradhsidhe toppled forward into a half roll, half awkward cartwheel that ended in a heap about twenty feet from me.
I raised the pistol but as I was about to pull the trigger, the gun simply vanished. I could feel the lingering trace of the Sidhe’s magic as it faded.
The Summer Champion stared at me with his catlike eyes. He might have smiled if the lower half of his face wasn’t locked in a pained grimace. The steel of Azura’s weapon had bit deep into the flesh. In spite of the pain, the Samhradhsidhe placed his hand over his calf and with a word, cauterized the savage wounds inflicted by Azura.
Summoning my magic, I squared off against the Sidhe.
He rose from the ground and started walking toward me. He was less graceful now, his wounded leg giving him an uneven stride, but his eyes never moved from me.
A gunshot split the air as the Samhradhsidhe catapulted forward onto his face. I looked at my hand, but the pistol was long gone. The suddenness of the shot shocked me until I realized what it meant.
I hit the ground. The shot that had dropped the Sidhe had been a high caliber round. Someone was sitting out there with a rifle and if I had to guess, my money was on Clark Smith, the Section 9 agent that had yet to show his face.
Lying flat on the causeway, I drew a shield around me and glanced at the Sidhe champion. He wasn’t moving. I looked around but couldn’t make out where the shot had come from. There were uneven, rocky outcroppings stretching as far as the eye could see to the south. He could be anywhere out there. If I tried to run, I’d be giving him a clear shot at me. Hunkered close to the ground on the raised causeway, I hoped he wouldn’t have a clear line of sight to me anyway. Every second I sat here, I grew more confident that he couldn’t see me.
But if I stayed here, I was a sitting duck. He could move and find a better angle, or just pin me down until a rival champion finished the job. After our exchange at the banquet, I was confident he’d put a bullet in me given the chance. The only reason I was still alive was that I was the lesser of the two threats he’d had a bead on.
I looked at the still form of the Samhradhsidhe champion. Whatever rounds Clark was packing was enough to punch through Sidhe armor and put down one of the pre-eminent warriors of the court. I didn’t want to gamble on my vest doing any better.
If Clark survived this, he’d just made an enemy of the Queen of Summer. Though if I was being honest, the Section 9 agent was just as unlikely to leave this place as I was. Only unbridled arrogance would have made a mortal human foolish enough to compete. Sure, the Director had called it patriotism, but I’d met Clarke. He was in it for the power and the glory.
I considered my predicament. The fact he hadn’t already shot me gave me hope. There was a good chance he couldn’t get a bead on my position. Of course, he could be relocating for another shot, so I needed to do something. I could summon a shield and make a run for it. The shield would at least absorb the bullet as long as I had enough juice in me to maintain it while I ran. Every shot would dip into my reserves of power, leaving me in poor condition to face anything that was still ahead of me.
Movement to my left drew my eye and I found a young woman in a summer dress sauntering toward me. She casually moved from stone to stone as she made her way to the inner causeway.
Edna.
Was she deaf? Did she not recognize the danger?
She approached with all the care of someone out for a Sunday stroll. As she reached the edge of each platform, she would jump nimbly to the next and continue her patient advance.
I waited for the shot to come. Any moment now, the Section 9 agent would remove another champion from competition. How had she even survived this long? She had a calmness that was out of place in the tempestuous arena of Poseidon. In spite of the storm lashing all about her, she continued seemingly unconcerned. How was she so zen?
“Look out,” I shouted, not wanting to watch her crumple like the Samhradhsidhe.
She turned, homing in on my location. I should have known better than to attract attention, but I’d already sent up fireworks. What harm could a warning do? I’d seen Cora cut down by Eris. I didn’t want to see another woman fall. Be it chivalry or stupidity, only time would tell. If I sat silent, she would be the next to die.
I waved frantically and shouted again. “Get down. He’s got a gun.”
She jumped over the next stretch of water, took a few more paces, and leaped onto the next outcropping. I kept waiting for the shot, but it never came.
On she strode, utterly oblivious of the threat as she deftly crossed onto the platform that led to the inner causeway.
I pointed at the body of the Summer Champion and shouted, “Get down.”
She took a few more paces until she was standing over the Samhradhsidhe’s body. She looked at him, looked at me, and smiled.
There was something in her eyes. It wasn’t malevolent; it was something else. I should have known better than to take her at face value. Just because she seemed young and innocent didn’t mean she was. In fact, her presence here was strong evidence that she wasn’t. She had entered Ares’ trial of her own volition and without a patron to compel her. She didn’t have a care in the world, not because she was ignorant but because she didn’t feel threatened.
And I’d waved her over and signaled my location. Great.
That was when I noticed the movement behind her, Clark Smith rising to his feet, his assault rifle swiveling toward us. I drew on my power and summoned a shield between him and Edna and me.
Edna looked at my shield shimmering in the air before us and smiled. She turned back to Clark, and he froze. I felt a wave of power emanating from her, but her lips didn’t even move. Clark lowered his assault rifle and tossed it into the water before reaching for his sidearm.
The agent’s motions were shaky, as if his arm was fighting the rest of him. His arm trembled as he raised the pistol, but instead of pointing it at us he placed it beneath his chin and pulled the trigger.
His body collapsed, his pistol falling from his grip as I stared on in slack-jawed shock. My heart raced, but I couldn’t move a muscle.
Edna looked at me and my shield that was protecting us both, and I felt foolish. She needed my protection like a submarine needed windshield wipers. She knew mind magic. The art was completely forbidden. Anyone who practiced it was hunted by the Arcane Governments that presided over the various jurisdictions of the world. Few practitioners survived long enough to be capable of much more than subliminal suggestion.
Agent Smith had killed himself at her direction and she hadn’t even broken a sweat. That sort of mastery took a lifetime of practice and the skills to outrun those who would kill her for it.
And now she was looking right at me.
The problem with the Forbidden was that due to its very nature, little was taught about it in school. The government did anything it could to ensure students stayed away from any arts that bordered on it. As a result, they didn’t really teach you how to defend yourself against it either, so I had no idea how to protect myself against the sort of mental onslaught she was clearly capable of.
The only other time I’d witnessed it was Levi, the barkeeper at The Run. I’d been powerless to stop him reading my mind. Murdoch had known some kind of trick and I found myself wishing I’d pressed him about it.
She hadn’t killed me yet, which gave me hope, and I was reluctant to even attempt uttering a spell for fear of spurring her to action.
She looked at me and smiled. “See you at the top, wizard.”
Her voice was gravelly and powerful.
Then she winked at me.
Before I could respond, she took a running leap off the causeway. Her body arced out over the water as she began to plummet toward the waves. I watched, rooted to the spot as her body glowed with a sapphire light, before her entire form began to grow.
Before my eyes, the young woman disappeared and an immense sapphire blue dragon appeared, its wings flapping as it rose gracefully over the water.
“That’s cheating!” I muttered, my eyes glued to the shifter dragon as she soared toward the peak.
I wanted to move, but I’d never seen a dragon in the flesh. I stood spellbound at the edge of the causeway, as the shifter dragon climbed higher and higher.
The causeway began to shake. It was as if an earthquake had struck the arena.
A creature rose out of the depths before me, obscuring much of the peak beyond. A black silhouette that seemed to force the ocean up with it as it rose. The creature broke the surface, water pouring off its monstrous form. It dwarfed the causeway, me and even Edna, the shifter dragon.
Edna snapped her head around, aware of the threat rising from the water beneath her, but it was too late. A host of serpentine heads with razor sharp teeth rose from the sea as the Scylla emerged from the ocean.