I finally finished editing through the entire book, so there will be five updates today!!! Though the the book has been edited once, the editing process never stops. So if there are things that need to be changed please let me know. This chapter is dedicated to BizarreSmalls for helping to want to continue on with this story.
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King Hakeem greeted me with a nod at my approach. "Today we will test your magical skills. First you will undergo an obstacle course on the ground with a bit of combat, not much. Then you will go head to head with some of the other riders testing your magical abilities in full combat. Your goal for the obstacles is to capture the flag that is hidden within the forest. The edge is marked off so please don't go beyond. Whenever you are ready you may begin."
Nodding I walk over to where Jayce was standing as he waved to me. "Hey, how are you feeling today?" He asked as he watched me stretch. This would be almost exactly like hunting.
"No problem with any of the tests from here on out, I think. This is more of my element." I recall all of my training sessions as both a mage and knight. Serina squeaking in excitement, the rush of the hunt was one thing we both shared.
Jayce clapped me on the shoulder for encouragement, "Good to hear it. Have fun in there but also be careful. One never knows what the forest may hold." He ominously voiced as he walked off.
Exhaling a calming breath I headed into the woods not putting the first part of the test off any longer. The flag probably wouldn't take long to locate as Serina was already sniffing out the whereabouts of the flag as she flitted through the treetops.
Staying out of sight of those who wished to stop our victory. Soon enough we came upon the river that was too wide to jump. The trees too closely packed to fly through.
Climbing up a nearby tree I swung from a branch to cling onto a nearby vine. Throwing my weight forward to gain momentum, willing myself to swing across the river. My feet firmly planted on a branch on the opposite side of the river, after grabbing onto a branch to stop me from swinging back across.
Climbing down from the position I held in the tree, I hesitated. The air in the forest didn't feel right. Pausing in my mission to listen for anything that might give an indication.
There were no birds or any kind of wildlife sounds echoing through the forest. The natural sounds of a forest always echoed through subtly except for when a predator stalked nearby. I would have to be careful going forward from here. "Serina, do you see anyone close by? Maybe crouched in an ambush position?" Hoping her survey the soundings didn't betray my hunting intuition. Otherwise that means I'm losing my touch.
"You mean the guy hiding behind that bush with what looks to be a sword at the ready?" Serina asked nonchalantly.
I felt the urge to roll my eyes but refrained. Delicately picking my way towards the knight without giving away my location. "Thanks for the heads up. Think you could have told me when you first found him?"
"I told you before you ran into him. Isn't that enough?" Serina hissed, pulling the man's attention to the tree tops where she was hiding. Seeing this as my chance I jumped down from the trees landing on top of him with all of my weight. Easily knocking him out.
"Thanks for the distraction." I pull him over to one of the trees, tying him to it with a vine. That should hold him for a bit.
"You're welcome. I don't think the flag is too much further." Serina moved from tree to tree as I jogged after her.
This whole thing seemed ridiculous, "You would think they would give me more of a challenge." I grunt as I climb over a couple of large logs blocking me from continuing after Serina. Using them as a catapult, jumping from them to land back down on the ground.
"Clearly they have never seen you hunt." Serina's amusement dancing across the bond. "Two mages up ahead. I don't know if they have weapons or not."
Sure enough I could feel the magical charge in the air; the taste of the magic leaving a tangy impression on my tongue.
Lifting my hands to press my fingertips into the dirt at my feet, a trickle of magic flows from my finger tips and into the earth. The earth responded by shooting pillars up from the ground, launching the inhabitants that were unlucky enough to be beneath them. Cries of surprise could be heard from where I had launched them, the place charged with the most magic. Two females fell through the foliage with a huff. Both glaring at me in outrage.
"You are an earth user!" One of them shouted at me in an accusing manner. Rolling my eyes I couldn't shake my disappointment at the stupidity.
Obviously I was some sort of magic user. After all I was a rider. Flames engulfed her hands as a self-satisfied smirk over took her features. Ah she was a fire user, they are known to be quite hot headed. No wonder she hated the fact I got the drop on her. "You aren't going to get past me." She claimed.
"Frea, calm down." The other girl advised as she pooled white mist into her palms. She probably thought I couldn't see the element since most aren't able to.
"So a fire user and a spirit user." Not the least bit frazzled about the situation. The spirit user was clearly another idiot, if the shock displayed on her face was anything to go by. She apparently thought I couldn't see her element. "Well this might be interesting. But I highly doubt it." Clearly teasing the pair of idiots standing before me.
The Frea girl growing impatient started throwing fireballs my way. Fire users, I rolled my eyes, they always go with the same tactic. Throwing my arms up to conjure a rock shield to stop the fire blasts.
Frea gritted her teeth at the sight of her useless fireballs. Her magic fueled by her anger caused her hands to become engulfed in wild flames. Deciding to use the new flames, she sent torrents of fire directly towards my person.
The fight I thought would at least be entertaining. I was wrong. I was quickly growing rather bored, at least the mages back home made it interesting.
Catching the streams of fire within spheres of air, I proceeded to cut off the supply of oxygen to the flames. Causing their instant death. Surrounding the Frea girl in a tunnel of wind cut her off from her element. Making it easier to entrap her body within earth. Her panic growing the longer she stayed encaged within the four walls of earth. Only her head free, allowing her to scream. "Hey, what they heck is going on! I can't use my ability without my hands!" She cried injustice as she started to hyperventilate.
"You are just a sad human being aren't you?" I shook my head pitifully. "Dishing it out without a problem but unable to take it when it is handed back to you. Just stay here. I am sure another earth user will be along shortly to help you." Fire girl glared from her humiliation, promising retribution for the crime against her.
The magic in the air thrummed with new life, growing in intensity. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a white trail of mist meandering its way towards me. A look of determination on the spirit user's face. At my command the wind disperses the meager trail crawling towards me with ease.
Fear and panic claimed the girl as she hastily erected a spirit barrier in an attempt to save herself. Grinning to further unsettle her, allowing low energy blades of wind to crack against her poorly made barrier. Psyching out the spirit user as she showed signs of jitters as she jumped from every loud crack that sounded. Her barrier slowly fading from the mental attacks.
The stupid girl was thoroughly distracted as she never noticed the vine snaking its way toward her. Not once giving any indication she knew it was there as it wrapped itself around her legs. Once she did notice the vines it was too late. The vines trapped her hands as well as her legs. The barrier fully disappearing as she struggled to free herself.
"Are you done playing with them yet?" Serina glided down from the tree tops to land on my shoulder. Her eyes taking in the scene before her.
"I guess I am done playing with them. It isn't as though they posed much of a threat anyway." Their faces paling at my words. "Fire girl should learn to keep her temper under control while in battle and not let things get to her head, while spirit girl should really learn to sneak attack her opponent while her partner has them distracted. Not let them take out her partner while just standing in a stupor." Hinting at their flaws.
Serina rolled her eyes at my mock scolding, "The flag isn't too far ahead. Though it is sitting on a large boulder surround by water." Jumping off my shoulder, Serina flitted back into the cover provided by the tree foliage.
Waving at the girls I stalk deeper into the woods. Not too far away stood a mountain of logs carefully stacked. A couple shifted and moved underneath my weight as I scaled over the constructed pile of wood. This obstacle required a slower pace if I was going to get through them unscathed. It could clearly be seen where the bark was rotted and eroded away. Hollows created from where the trees had caved in from the rot.
I was almost at the top where I underestimated a spot. Shifting my weight to my front foot in an unnoticeable weak spot caused my leg to go through the wood. Trying to free myself by pulling my foot out proved impossible. I was thoroughly stuck. In a log no less. How undignified.
"Serina I acquire some assistance." I grunted as I kept trying to work my foot free. Serina floated to where I was on the stack of logs with light beats of her wings.
A sound of suspicious amusement escaped her throat as she watched me continue to struggle. "You really got yourself into a jam didn't you?" She snorted. I can't believe my dragon was making fun of me. Serina fluttered closer to look at the hollow I had accidently created.
She scratched at the edges, shredding off bits and pieces until the hole was large enough for me to free my foot without any trouble. "Be more careful next time." Her claws lightly pricking my shoulders as she made herself comfortable on top of them.
Grumbling to myself as I scaled the rest of the way. Once safely on the ground did I breathe a sigh of relief only to have it short lived as I tripped. Not on a stick but on a trip wire. Releasing arrows from both sides. My magic thrummed through my veins, responding to my desire of not wanting to get constructing a solid earth shield around us. Letting the arrows become imbedded within the thickness of the stone. Relaxing I reign in my magic, the earth shield falling in response.
I glare at the offending surroundings checking for more traps. Sending a blade of air towards a suspicious pile of leaves in the distance triggered a trap that would have caught around my foot, pulling me up into the trees.
Nasty obstacles and their traps. Following Serina's directions to the flag I keep a continuous torrent of wind ahead of me to sweep for any potential traps. Forcing them to spring before I could become stuck in them.
I was growing frustrated at our slow progress through the forest but I didn't want to be humiliated again by setting off another trap. Though hearing the slow trickle of water in the distance improved my mood as I picked up the pace. Coming to stand near the water's edge I could see the golden flag with a black dragon placed in the middle, on top of a boulder.
Practically begging me to take it to prove I had won another test. Serina's tongue darting out to taste the surrounding air, "There are at least three users on the ground waiting for you to make a move. Two in the trees." Letting her tongue dart out a couple more times just to be sure. "I'll handle the ones in the trees. You take care of the other three." She silently disappeared into the foliage.
Trusting her to take care of the ones in the trees I concentrate on earth magic once more, constructing a pathway to the boulder without getting wet. Stepping out of my hiding place to walk towards the flag. Aware of the figures also coming out of hiding. "We won't let you get near that flag." A man resembling a bear barked out.
"Oh really?" I mused. They looked as though they were waiting for something to happen. I guess Serina already took care of the ones in the trees. To confirm she flew out into the open landing by the flag, extending her small wings while hissing threateningly. The four men's eyes widen but determination over took them as they all took a fighting stance.
Moving together the water beneath me swirled to form waves trying to incase my body. So they were all water users, explains why they put the flag in the middle of the lake. Maintaining my connection with earth, I clap my hands once. The ground beneath the lake rumbles and shakes in response causing the water to roll. The ground groaning as it moved upwards so that I had a nice large patch of rock to stand on.
"How many elements can you use?" One of the men asked as he paused in his movements while holding his defensive positon.
"That is for me to know and you to try and find out." Smiling in a patronizing way. One of the other men barked at the guy in a reprimanding way for talking to me. Together they moved their hands in a quick complicated pattern, the water on the edge of my rock forming four tentacle like structures.
Swaying closer to me with every movement. I had to do something quickly. As they brought all four of them down I sprung into the air at the last second using a wind vortex. Carrying me above the water tentacles.
Stretching out my arms with my palms down, the earth at the bottom of the lake rushed up to the surface of the water where the men were standing. Flipping my palms up, creating a fist and bringing my arms back towards me, the earth shifted to encase their feet. Making it so they were unable to move. Unfortunately that didn't completely stop them from using the water element. The water tentacles grew longer in reach as they all stretched one hand up.
The wind vortex surrounding my lower half took a large portion of my energy as I continued to dodge the tentacles trying to wrap around me. To cease this fight I would have to incase their entire bodies in rock.
Breathing in an even rhythm I lift both of my arms out from my sides, letting them slowly lift and extend. My thumbs touching the tips of my fingers as my hands make the shapes of water droplets, slightly bending my wrists. Forming fists as I clinch my hands.
The stone encasing the water users responding as it crawled up their bodies to their necks. Immobilizing them and cutting them off from their element. The water tentacles loosing shape as they splash back down into the water.
With the threat taken care of I lower myself onto the boulder beside Serina. "Let's get this flag to the King. We have been gone long enough." With a few good pulls I free the flag from the rocks. Serina grew to her normal size, her full length extending beyond the rock so she had to lightly flap her wings to keep above the water. Jumping up into the saddle I hold onto the flag as the wind picked up due to Serina taking off into the air to fly over the woods.
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Hope you liked this chapter!!! Onto the next part!