CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
Jamari entered the battle arena, taking her seat among fellow warriors who patiently awaited their turns. She was genuinely surprised by the look of the setting; the arena was very big, with spectators circling it from their seats, leaving a spacious central field for the event that was about to hold.
Corvus shifted his eyes to the opposite side across the field and spotted Reagan, who sat still with Kira and Cedrick standing beside him, accompanied by other highly respected individuals—easily recognizable by their dignified appearance. She nervously bit her lower lip, unsure of what to expect. The thought of her impending death in front of a big audience like this left her feeling trapped, with no clear escape from Lyra.
Today was a very important day for lyra. After years of rigorous training, this day would decide her fate as an official soldier. Jamari was well aware that Lyra's determination to end her life would be stronger than ever, which only added to her own confusion about how to handle this situation. The air was thick with rumors and murmurs, so deafening that it made it nearly impossible to hear the words of those seated beside her, well if she didn't have heightened hearing ofcourse.
With each passing second, Jamari's nervousness intensified, and she silently thanked her luck that Lyra was currently nowhere to be found, sparing her from any taunts. "When is this going to start?" someone behind jamari inquired, their voice dripping with frustration.
Jamari swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Finally, Corvus' eyes landed on Lyra, who stood there in a bronze battle armor, wielding two sharp axes. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and on either side of her face, two straight lines were drawn like whiskers with black ink.
Lyra didn't display the same nervousness that Jamari felt. Instead, she appeared calm and relaxed, engaging in conversation with her friends. Her confidence radiated, and it was evident that she believed she would secure a spot in the Drakonia army.
"Now look at Lyra," someone behind Jamari commented. "The smile of confidence on her face tells you today is her lucky day as she's finally going to become a part of the army."
"I agree with you on that," someone else interjected with a wry smile. "Oh, how I wish I had been partnered with such an incompetent companion. I could have passed my exams four years ago and be proudly wearing that Drakonia uniform right now. But fate had other plans, you see. I got paired up with none other than that water or should I say azure Vedan, Zephyra. It's almost too unfair, don't you think?"
Jamari's interest piqued at the mention of Zephyra. Memories of her conversation with the beautiful azure Vedans resurfaced, and she couldn't help but wonder where she had disappeared to ever since that day.
"But here's the surprise," the person continued, leaning in conspiratorially. "Zephyra wasn't even interested in becoming a warrior of Drakonia. She claimed she joined the ranks out of sheer boredom, and yet, she effortlessly soared to the top of her class. Vedans, my friend, they're something else entirely. No ordinary human has the powers to defeat them unless, of course, you're one of those divine beings like our esteemed king for example."
"One might initially consider Lyra unlucky for facing a Vedan," someone else chimed in, a mischievous grin forming, "but when you see just how incompetent that Vedan opponent of hers is, well, I'd say she's incredibly fortunate!" Laughter rippled through the group.
Jamari couldn't help but wonder if they were aware of her presence and were intentionally saying those words to torment her, or if they were simply oblivious. She chose to ignore their words and kept her focus on the event that is about to start.
Moments later, the announcer's voice cut through the air, declaring the event's the start of the event. The atmosphere shifted abruptly into a deathly silence, the crowd hanging on the edge. All sound faded, only to be broken by a resounding horn that pierced the stillness, signaling the start of the event.
As the event of the day unfolded, the announcer's voice continued to fill the arena. Jamari, lost in her thoughts and overwhelmed by the awaiting chaos, could barely make out his words. Her primary focus was the death patiently waiting for her.
Her daze was broken abruptly by the applause and cheers of the crowd. The first group of contestants for the day entered the field, and the audience celebrated their arrival.
Through Corvus' eyes, Jamari counted about ten contestants, all exuding an air of readiness to face their trial. Her interest was piqued, and she fixed her attention on them.
The announcer carried on, introducing them as the Mystic Enclave trainees. Jamari recalled Reagan mentioning that this division specialized in using magic to enhance warriors' weapons during war and she also remembered him saying that people capable of doing that are very rare, she was curious to see if anyone had the potentials or ability to join this division as an official soldier.
"Do you think they'll have any luck recruiting someone for the Mystic division this year?" one of the gossipers behind Jamari asked, prompting a response from another.
"I'm not entirely certain, but that man with the striking yellow hair," she said, gesturing towards a tall, slender figure with a stern expression on his face. He possessed a sun-kissed tan and a well-defined, muscular physique that hinted at his strength. "I've witnessed his abilities, and I must say, I have high expectations for him. He might just secure a spot in the Mystic Enclave this year. As for the others, well, it remains to be seen what they can bring to the table."
Jamari's attention was drawn back to the field where the students stood, radiating readiness for the exam.
"Let the testing begin!" the announcer declared, capturing everyone's rapt attention.
Eight Drakonia armies marched onto the battlefield, joining the students who were eagerly waiting to commence their trials. Among them, four were dressed in black attire, while the remaining four were dressed white uniforms.
"May the first student to demonstrate their skills step forward,"the announcer instructed. A slender woman with short hair and a black outfit stepped forward, as Jamari observed her through Corvus' eyes.
she could detect traces of nervousness on the woman's face, but she also noticed that the woman did her best to conceal it.
"The soldiers dressed in black are your allies, while the ones in white are your enemies," the announcer explained, his echoing across the arena. "They will face off in a battle, and it's your task to enhance your allies' weapons with magic to give them an advantage against the enemy."
The woman nodded, removing her gloves and taking a deep breath. "Shall we begin?" the announcer asked, and she nodded in response.
"Alright, let's start!" the announcer declared as the fake battle between the black and white uniform soldiers commenced. The clash of swords filled the air, and the woman's hand began to emit a radiant glow as she channeled her magic into the weapon's of the soldiers dressed in black.
Radiant bolts of golden energy surrounded her hands, and the weapons being possesed by the soldiers in black also began to shine a brilliant golden glow. Silence fell over the crowd, and gasps of surprise filled the air in response to this extraordinary display of magic.
As spectators watched in awe, it became obvious that the weapons of the soldiers dressed in black had gone through a huge transformation. Their strikes were now devastating, causing the opponents dressed in white weapons to crumble into pieces upon impact.
A satisfied smile graced the woman's face as she witnessed the undeniable effectiveness of her magic—a power she might have had doubts about before she began but now she is very confident.
Then, something strange happened as the once-golden swords of the soldiers dressed in black suddenly ignited with hot flames. Pain contorted their faces as the hot weapons burned their hands, forcing them to drop their swords to the ground.
"What happened?" the woman exclaimed in disbelief, her voice filled with shock. "How did that happen? I didn't mean to..."
"I'm sorry, but you lose," the announcer interjected, her tone regretful but final. " The last thing we want is someone setting our soldiers on fire during war. It seems you won't be able to secure a spot in the division. Perhaps we'll see you again in four years."
Jamari couldn't help but feel sadness as she witnessed the tears welling up in the woman's eyes. She had likely thought she would pass her exam, but just when it seemed she had succeeded, she ended up failing miserably.
The woman walked away, struggling to hold back her tears. New weapons were provided to the soldiers as they continued testing the other candidates, and truth be told, everything had taken a turn for the worse.
some candidates unintentionally transformed the soldier's weapons into frogs, while others turned it into trees that had to be hastily cut down for the testing to proceed. In a particularly surprising situation, a candidate made the soldier weapon disappear entirely.
Jamari couldn't help but question how someone whose job was to enhance weapons during battle could accidentally cause the soldiers' weapons to disappear, rendering them defenseless against their enemies.
"I'm starting to understand why this division only has five experts," one of the gossipers behind Jamari whispered.
"So far, they've all been nothing but failures," another one chimed in, their laughter accompanying the observation. "It seems there's only one candidate left. Let's see what the one with blonde hair can do."
"Yes, let's see if he can make the cut," the first one agreed.
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What do you all think?
Is lyra really lucky to be going against jamari?.
Please please please please please please vote and comment
Thanks 🙏